The perfect birthday present
by FiftyShadesOfJess
Summary: When Anastasia Steele's life comes crashing down, she falls apart. Luckily, her boss, Elena Lincoln, knows the remedy for a life spinning out of control – and wouldn't a brown-haired pale-skinned girl to form and mold after your every wish and desire be a perfect birthday present for a man that already has everything money can buy? *Lengthier summary at the beginning of chapter 1*
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Anastasia Steele's life had been staked out for years. She was to marry her childhood friend and become a stay-at-home wife and mom. When it all came crashing down, she fell apart. Luckily, her boss, Elena Lincoln, knows the remedy for a life spinning out of control – and wouldn't a brown-haired pale-skinned girl to form and mold after your every wish and desire be a perfect birthday present for a man that already has everything money can buy?

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My other story will be updated later tonight – I just had to get this one out of my mind and onto print before I could focus. I wasn't going to post it until I had gotten a few more chapters into _For all eyes to see_, but I just couldn't help myself!

Don't worry though, I'm still as excited about the plot of my other story as always and I will continue to write both that and my Gilmore Girls story – but you know how inspiration sometimes goes its own way…Really, I'm just following it…

* * *

**The perfect birthday present**

Anastasia

* * *

_Oh God._ I fight to keep my tears at bay. I can't have another break-down. Not here. Elena will surely kill me if I turn into a mess of tears and sobs in front of a customer. At the very least, she'll fire me – and I really can't afford to lose this job.

I take a deep breath. _I can do this._ Another deep breath. _Smile._ Pulling at a strength I didn't know I had I force a smile onto my lips.

"So when's the date?" I ask, thankful for the fact that my customer waited until I'd moved on to the pedicure before she told me about her fiancés proposal. I'm not sure I could have handled being so close to her face; to see the happiness shining out of her eyes. _I used to have that._

"December fifth. We're having a winter-theme." The woman smiles wide and I focus my attention on her toes.

"Congratulations" I manage to murmur and swallow back my tears as the woman goes into a monologue about the wondrous man that had captured her heart. I tune out.

_2 weeks and four days._ That's how long it's been since _my wondrous man_ left.

Everything was planned for our future together.

My wedding dress was the perfect shade of white and pearls. The flowers and centerpieces had been hand-picked by Seattle's most renowned wedding-planner, who also – in cooperation with my mother – had fine-tuned the seating-chart with uttermost precision.

Our two week long honeymoon was booked and planned. We were going to Aruba, to enjoy the sparkling sun, the turquoise ocean and the shimmering white sand beaches. And by the time we arrived back home, the house he picked out for us to live in would have been remodeled to his vision of perfection.

That was 2 weeks and _five_ days ago, before the future that was planned for me came tumbling down. Before my lovely fiancé – the man I'd known and loved since as far back as I can remember – announced that he'd fallen head over heels in love with a florist. And not just any florist to that, but the florist that was hand-picked by Seattle's most renowned wedding-planner to provide the floral arrangements for the Camwell-Steele wedding.

Yep. That's right. _My wondrous man_ fell in love with another woman a week before our wedding and right at this moment while I'm scrubbing the feet of a joyful bride-to-be, my former fiancé is in Aruba – on our honeymoon – with his new love.

_Life sucks._

"Sweetie, are you alright?" I look up to see my customer's worried face and it's not until then I realize that I've stopped scrubbing her feet and am now crying and sobbing out loud with her right foot still in my hand.

I let go of her foot and wipe my eyes. "Yes, I'm sorry" I continue to wipe my tear-drenched face and force a deep breath down my throat to try and stop the sobbing. "I'm so very sorry" I tell her again as I pickup her foot and resume the scrubbing.

"It's okay" She tells me and her voice is calm and soothing.

_Shit!_ I'm pretty sure I just crossed the line unto completely and utterly pathetic. Hopefully, no one besides my customer took any notice and I'll still have a job tomorrow. _Elena Lincoln is relentless and unforgiving._

* * *

Having suffered through and endless parade of pitying looks from the joyful bride-to-be, I'm finally done with her treatment and am alone in the room. _God, how could I be so stupid to let my mind wander away like that during work-hours?_

Colin Camwell and everything regarding our cancelled wedding is forbidden territory at any time or place where I need to function like a normal human being. I know that. _And still…_

I hear someone clearing their throat at the door and when I look up I feel a chill running throughout my body. It's Elena Lincoln – my boss, also, behind her back, referred to as the cold, stone-hearted bitch. I feel like I'm literally shrinking in her presence.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Lincoln" I greet her, hoping all signs of my previous break-down has vanished from my face.

Her expression doesn't change, it's like her face is carved in stone. "When you're done in here, I would like to have a word with you in my office Miss Steele" She informs me and then she's gone before I have a chance to say anything.

_Holy crap – she knows!_ She must have somehow heard about my break-down and now she's going to fire me. _I'm screwed._

Almost in a trance I finish the cleaning with uttermost precision, my heart pounding in my chest the whole time. My legs feel wobbly as I walk towards Mrs. Lincoln's office and knock on the door.

She tells me to come on in and I draw a shaky breath before I push the door open and enter. The Ice-Queen sits behind her desk and watches me without saying anything as I approach her.

There's a chair in the far corner of the office, but I'm pretty sure I won't be here long enough to need to sit down.

"Would you care to explain to me what the hell happened in the treatment-room earlier?" Although she doesn't raise her voice or scream – the anger is evident in her voice and her green eyes are piercing right through me.

_Yep. She definitely knows. _I feel tears filling my eyes, threatening to spill over. _I really need this job. I don't have anything else._

"I'm sorry" I wipe my tear-drenched eyes. "I'm so sorry" I repeat to the cold, hard face looking right at me. "It won't happen again. I promise, Mrs. Lincoln"

After what feels like an eternity, Elena finally speaks. "I expect my employees to behave professionally at all times, Miss Steele" Her words are stern and I pinch my eyes shut and bend my head down towards the floor.

_This is it. _She's going to fire me. _I will not only be out of love, but also out of work and out of any means to pay rent for my shitty rat-hole apartment._

I doubt that Elena Lincoln is in possession of a softer side, but as the situation is – I don't have anything to lose. "My life has been a mess lately…" I explain, hoping that she'll take some sort of pity on me and not fire my sorry ass on the spot. _She has to give me another chance. This job is all I've got right now._

"…my fiancé left me for another woman a week before our wedding" Her face doesn't give away the least clue as to what she's thinking.

_Why should she take pity on me?_ I'm a pathetic mess and no one in their right mind would want me as an employee right now.

"Go on" She suddenly demands and I flinch. Have my explanation made an impact on the stone-hearted bitch that is my boss?

"My whole life, other people have been making decisions for me – where to go to school, who to date, who to marry, where to live – and when my fiancé left, I lost all that and right now I'm struggling to gain a control I just realized I've never had"

The words comes tumbling out of my mouth, and there's no denying the desperation in which they are spoken. This is my one chance to get her to understand that I'm not usually this pathetic, unprofessionally emotional mess of a woman.

Elena simply nods and I take that as my cue to continue. "It's hard, confusing and scaring, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it even though it might not look like it right now and I swear I won't break down like this during work hours again"

There's a screeching sound as she pushes her chair back and stands up, moving towards me, still not taking her eyes off me.

She doesn't say anything, instead I hear her stiletto-heels clattering against the floor as she slowly walks around me and I get the strange feeling that she's measuring me up. "What's your definition of control, Miss Steele?"

"What do you mean?" I notice my voice trembling as I speak, her indiscreet inspection of me is making me nervous. It feels like she's undressing me with her eyes.

_Oh God!_ She doesn't swing that way, does she? _What if she'll require sexual services in exchange for me keeping my job?_

"I mean: how do you define control?" Her voice is coming from right behind me. "You said you'd never had control – I want you to develop that statement" It's not a question, it's an order and I don't know why, but I want to please her by following through on it.

"I've always done what I'm told to do; first by my parents and then by my fiancé" _And now by you_, I add in my mind, not daring to say the words out loud. But somehow I like that she's taking control over the conversation, it takes the pressure of me and I am actually starting to feel more relaxed than I did when I first stepped into her office.

"I've never had to make any decisions or choices" I continue. "There was always someone there to tell me what to do"

She walks back to my front and there's a sly smile on her lips. "And you obeyed I assume?"

I look at her, puzzled. _Of course I did. What other choices are there?_

Before I can gather myself to answer her, she starts laughing. It's not a heart-felt laughter and it's making me feel uncomfortable again. "No need to answer, Anastasia" She says as she reaches out and caresses my cheek. "I know you did, because you're a good girl, right?"

"I try to be" I offer. _Should I bolt?_ She's obviously some sort of crazy.

She starts laughing again, releasing my cheek. She shakes her head and smiles. "That's great Miss Steele" She takes a step back and slowly looks me up and down, her gaze is making my skin creep. "In fact…" She continues when she reaches my eyes again and I have to look down. I can't meet the intensity in her eyes._ This woman scares the shit out of me – but at the same time she makes me feel calm. How's that even possible?_ "…that's just perfect"

She takes a step closer and reaches her hand out, grabs my chin and tilts my head up until my eyes meet hers again. "You know Miss Steele, _not_ being in control could be a very pleasurable feeling – with your history, I'm sure you're very well aware of that. Am I right?"

I nod and she frowns, pursing her lips together. "I said: am I right Anastasia?" She asks again with the voice of a parent scolding their child, obviously a nod wasn't a good enough answer.

"Yes Mrs. Lincoln" I answer, surprised by my sudden need to be formal and she smiles, nodding to herself as she taps a well-manicured index-finger against her red lips.

"I might be able to help you after all, Miss Steele" She says with a smile on her lips and I feel hopeful again for the first time since Colin left. _If anyone can help me – it's Elena Lincoln, she seems to know all about control._

* * *

**The perfect birthday present**

Elena

* * *

_Oh, yes_. I smile to myself. This young brunette is a born and bred submissive. Just take the way she's looking at me right now; her innocent blue eyes overflowing with gratitude because I stepped in and took control. Christian will love this.

It's his birthday in a week and I think I just found the perfect gift for him; a pale-skinned brunette in desperate need for someone to control her. _She'll need some grooming of course. _That chestnut hair is a dull mess and her finger nails are in desperate need of a manicure. And the way she dresses! Preposterous! Thank God she has to wear a uniform as she works, otherwise there's no way I could ever let her show herself to customers.

But still…I think she holds potential. It will be a wonderful experience for Christian to train her from the beginning; to be able to form and mold her to his every wish and desire. Just like I did with him.

I know he doesn't have a submissive right now and that makes him testy. I frown remembering how he stormed in here yesterday demanding to see my bookkeeping. He knows I'm competent enough to handle the salons – but when he doesn't have a sub to control, his need for control spills over into things he doesn't have any business sticking his nose in.

I have to fight hard not to let out another content laugh when I look at Anastasia before me. She's looking down at the floor, nervously wringing her hands in front of her as she chews on her bottom lip. _Poor child…I guess my frowning made her think she has displeased me._ This will almost be too easy.

"I have a proposition for you" I inform her and her eyes immediately shoot up to meet mine. "Come to my house at 7 and I'll tell you what you need to know"

She nods energetically. "Thank you, Mrs. Lincoln" It looks like her eyes are filling up with tears again. Grateful tears this time, I'm guessing.

_Yes, this girl will be perfect for Christian._

"You may leave" I tell her and she makes a curtsey as she thanks me again. _A fucking curtsey!?_ I see her cheeks turning red before she turns around to leave, so I'm guessing the curtsey wasn't intentional on her part. _She simply has it in her._

"I appreciate punctuality, Anastasia" I inform her before she steps out of my office.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for the amazing response to my story - only a chapter and already over a 100 followers! I'm glad you seem to be as excited about this story as I am!

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**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 2**

Anastasia

* * *

I look at my wrist watch as I step up onto Elena's front porch. I'm five minutes early. _Is that a good thing or a bad thing for someone that appreciates punctuality?_ I decide to wait a few minutes before ringing the door bell. Just to make sure.

I run my hands over my dress to smooth it out. I own a lot of dresses but rarely wear any of them – not anymore. I prefer jeans and a t-shirt. It probably has something to do with the fact that Colin bought all those dresses for me and each and everyone holds the echo of his praising words.

I think _stunning_ is the word he used for this dress. I feel that familiar pain gripping at my chest. No. I need to move on. I need to be stronger. I need to be able to control myself. I need to be more like Elena Lincoln.

It is true that she's a stone-hearted cold bitch. And it is true that she scares the shit out of me – and very other employee at the salon. But in a way I admire her. She's powerful. She's in control.

_I would like to see the man that would dare to walk out on Elena Lincoln two weeks before their wedding._

I wonder what her proposition might be? She didn't offer any clues and I was too afraid to ask. Is it something work-related? She hasn't fired me yet…so yeah, probably.

Secretly, I'm hoping that she will let me in on her secrets; tell me how to gain control over my life, how to be more like her instead of this little girl that everyone seems to think they can push around and treat however they want.

_She did ask all those questions about control._ I take a deep breath and reach my hand out to ring the doorbell. The sound of it echoing through the house has my heart jumping in my chest and I take another deep breath to calm it down.

"Miss Steele?" In a matter of seconds, a maid has arrived at the door and opened it for me. I nod at her question and she invites me.

I step into the hallway and…_holy crap this place is huge._ Okay, the house did look pretty impressive from the outside but with the open spaces and high ceiling it looks even more impressive on the inside.

"Mrs. Lincoln is waiting for you in the living room" The maid informs me and I close my mouth, which had apparently dropped open at the sight of the interior of this amazing home. "Follow me please, Miss" The maid says as she starts walking.

I follow her all while almost snapping my neck trying to take it all in as we walk. Everything is white; the panels, the curtains, the furniture, the roses on the side table and you might think that that would make it look cold and clinical, but it doesn't. It looks soft somehow. _I would love to live in a house like this one day._

We arrive to the living room where Elena is waiting, she's standing next to a drink cart and as I enter she turns to look at me. "Anastasia" Her smile is warm and welcoming. "Would you like me to get you something to drink?" She gestures towards the cart. "Wine, maybe?"

I nod. "Wine will be great, thank you"

She turns back to the cart to pour my drink and I stand awkwardly in the middle room watching her. Should I sit down? I look towards the white couch and then back at Elena again. I don't even know if this is where she'll present the 'proposition' or if this is just where she's greeting me.

"Sit down, dear" Elena turns around and smiles as she hands me a glass of white wine. I've worked for her for almost 2 weeks, seeing her every day, and today is the first time I've ever seen her smile. And she seems to be doing it all the time. I smile back at her as I take my seat on the couch. _Oh, God – I hope I don't spill. Why do people have white furniture? Especially couches._ I see my hand shaking slightly as I set the glass down on the coffee table.

Elena takes a seat in one of the armchairs next to the couch and crosses her legs. "You're on time. I appreciate that" She tilts her head slightly, the smile still on her lips and I have to swallow back on the 'thank you' that's about to jump out my mouth.

She appreciates that I'm on time – that's not something you say 'thank you' to. That's simply a statement. Not a compliment. But it's something in her tone and manner that makes me want to apologize for every flaw I may have and thank her for noticing any little thing I do right. I was raised to be polite and to do as I'm told, but this is just plain ridiculous. _Still, I can't help it._

"Now…" She leans forward and places her glass on the coffee table as well. "…let's talk about the proposition I have for you"

I feel butterflies starting to rage in my stomach. _Okay._ I straighten myself up. I've been mulling over this woolly proposition all afternoon. I don't think she's going to fire me, because if she was she could have done it right at the salon.

"First, there are a few things I need to know about you Anastasia"

I nod. _She's definitely not going to fire me…_right? There's no point in knowing things about someone you're going to fire.

"What kind of sexual experience do you have?" She asks as in a tone suggesting she might as well had been asking how the traffic was on the way over and I feel my mouth drop wide open. _What the hell is this?_

"Excuse me?" I manage to get out. I must have heard wrong.

"What kind of sexual experience do you have?" She repeats. _No, I heard it right the first time. _

"I-I.." I don't know what to say. "…what does that have to do with anything?" The proposition doesn't have anything to do with sex, does it? Is Elena running some kind of prostitution ring or something? _Oh God. I have to leave. _I'm not _that_ desperate for a job.

"We'll get to that in due time, Anastasia" She's starting to sound impatient. "Now, about your sexual experience, you mentioned you had a fiancé so I'm assuming you've had sex"

I feel my cheeks heating. _That's really none of her business._ "I-I think I should go" I stutter out as I get up from the couch.

Elena sighs audibly. "Sit down, Anastasia" Her tone is demanding and instinctively I do as she says. I quickly get up again though as I remember my reasons for standing up in the first place.

"No" I shake my head. "No"

"'No' what?" Elena slowly raises herself from her seat. "You haven't had sex?"

I take a deep breath. For once in my life I have to stand my grounds. I can't be hauled into a prostitution ring only because I have a problem with saying no and displeasing people.

"I've had sex" I snort; I can literally feel my legs shaking. I got to keep it together. _I can do this._ "But that doesn't mean I'm a slut that you can sell off to the highest bidder just because you know I desperately need to keep my job" My voice rises with each word and when I'm done I'm panting. I was so worried I would chicken out if I stopped that I didn't even allow myself to stop for breath as I spoke.

"I'm sorry, but if you're looking for a new prostitute to add to your business – you have to keep looking" _I can't believe I actually said that!_ I might have more go in me than I give myself credit for.

To my surprise and utter shock, Elena laughs. I try my best to look offended. This is certainly not a laughing matter!

"Oh, sweetie" She moves closer and I take a step back. Elena stops and her face hardens. "I am not involved in the prostitution business and I am beyond offended that you would think so" Her voice is sharp and it's obvious my assumptions have upset her.

"I'm sorry" I whisper, my gaze darting down to my feet. _But really, with those questions, can she blame me for making assumptions?_ I look up again and the anger is still very evident in her eyes. _Obviously she can._

"I just don't understand why you asked those questions" I say, still pretty much whispering.

"I told you we'll get to that in due time" She sighs and after a few moments of silence she adds: "Maybe I started at the wrong end. You see, I'm not used to doing this with someone so…inexperienced"

I frown. What does she know about my experience? Besides the fact that I've had sex before, she doesn't know anything.

Elena sits down at the couch and pats the seat next to her. "Come sit. Let's start over"

I hesitate. Maybe I was jumping to conclusions about the prostitution ring – but I still don't get the need to know about my sexual experience – or inexperience as she put it.

_Oh God. _I remember the feeling I got when she was measuring me up in her office earlier today. Undressing me with her eyes…and now asking questions about my sexuality…_Holy crap!_

She smiles again, the anger apparently all forgotten. "I won't bite you Anastasia"

"I'm not gay" I blurt out in a squeaky voice. _Oh God. Oh God. Did I just say that?_

Elena purses her lips together – the anger in her eyes have returned in full force. "Neither am I Anastasia. Now sit!"

I comply. Mostly because I don't know what else to do right now. _And because she scares me with that look…_

"So…" She smiles again, but it looks forced this time. "…about the proposition. I don't want to have sex with you and I don't want you to work for me as a prostitute" I blush as she reminds of my two, apparently wrong, assumptions.

She reaches for her wine glass and takes a sip and I'm tempted to do the same, but I'm not sure if holding a glass of wine as I sit in her spotless white couch is a smart move right now.

She puts her glass back and turns to face me. "What I'm offering you is a life where you don't have to struggle for control, where you can go back to what you're used to; to obeying orders and let other people worry about making the right decisions for you."

"I'm not sure I understand" _That's not what I want. _I want to be able to handle the control. I want to have it.

"I'll explain it to you" Elena offers and I don't protest. Might as well see what the proposition is about before I turn it down. "But first, there are a few things we need to get out of the way" She continues as she gets up from her seat and walks over to a cabinet next to the couch.

_Let other people make the decisions for me?_ Why can't she just come out and tell me what the proposition is about? Does she have a son she wants to marry away? _No._ That's crazy.

I hear the sound of a drawer opening and as I look over I see Elena picking some papers out and then closing it again.

"Before we get into any in-depth explanations…" She starts talking as she makes her way back to the couch. "…I'm gonna need you to sign this" She hands me one of the papers and I stare at it. It looks like a legal document of some kind.

"It's a non-disclosure agreement" Elena explains. "Just to make sure that everything we discuss here tonight will remain between the two of us" I nod as I skim through the paper. "And, if you agree to my proposition, the NDA will cover everything in it as well"

Okay. I have to admit I'm actually very curious as to what this proposition might me. And who should I talk to anyway? I don't have any friends. Not anymore. They're all part of my old life; the one that ended two weeks and four days ago.

Without giving it any further thought I sign the document and hand it back to Elena. She takes the document and places it in a folder.

"Good" She puts the folder to her side and reaches for her wine again, gesturing for me to do the same. I try to smile, but the butterflies that have come to live in my stomach again are making that rather hard.

I take a large sip of the wine before I put the glass back. _I probably need that._

Elena puts her hand over mine, and inhales a breath. _Here it comes. Keep your calm Ana. _"You see Anastasia…" She starts and I can practically fell my heart beating, trying to escape my chest. "…I have a very dear friend who is an expert at exercising control in all aspects of the word"

She pauses for a moment, probably to let the words sink in, before she continues: "And when I saw you today – so lost and confused in the absence of the control you're used to, I knew I could help you"

Well, this is kind of what I wanted, right? For her to help me to get control over my life. But what does her friend have to with it? Maybe he's one of those self-taught men that devote their lives to teaching others what they had to learn for themselves?

"My friend is currently looking for a girl to control and you're exactly the kind of girl he'd like" _Excuse me…but what?_ "You're a beautiful girl Anastasia, but you look so lost and in need of direction in your life. He can give you that"

"Wh-what?" I shake my head. _What the hell is she talking about?_ "How?" _Or maybe, more importantly:_ "Why?"

"One question at a time Anastasia" She takes another sip of her wine and I simply sit and stare at her, unable to do anything else. _I don't even understand what it is she's suggesting!_ But I'm still shocked about it!

I settle for the most urgent question. "Why?"

"Because he likes control. He needs it. Just like you need someone to control you"

_I don't need for someone to control me!_ Maybe someone to give me a few tips and pointers – but not to control me. That's the opposite of what I want.

"How?" I can't stop the question from leaving my mouth. I am intrigued. I want to know how he does it – how Elena's friend has become an 'expert at exercising control'. Even if I turn the proposition down, I could still maybe learn something from it.

"Have you ever heard of a Dominant/submissive relationship?" Elena leans back against the couch and studies my face as she waits for my answer.

"No…" I admit. "Not really" Although it isn't too hard to figure it out from the words – a relationship involving one Dominant part and one submissive part, I'm guessing._ If she thinks I'll ever agree to being the submissive part – she has to think again. I'm done with that part of my life._

"Well, it's a relationship of sorts, where one party – the Dominant – exercises control over the other party – the submissive"

"What kind of control?" _Is this a sexual thing?_

"It depends on what the parties agree upon. Some want to exercise control only in the sexual act…" _Yep, it's a sexual thing._ "…others in every aspect of life. My friend likes to draw up a contract with his submissives, stating what goes and what doesn't. I usually state what _I_ want and then it's up to the submissive to decide whether to stay or go"

Okay, I'm pretty sure my jaw will hit the floor any time now. _Elena is a Dominant?_ She's into these kind of things? _She looks so normal…_

"In your case, I think my friend will be perfect for you as he likes control both in and out of the sexual act. But of course, you'll get to look at the contract and voice your opinions before you agree to anything. It's all in the spirit of it being consensual"

_No. I_ want to be in control over my life. I don't want some sex-maniac to control my every move.

"I'm not sure I want that" I say and Elena frowns. _Uh-oh, she's upset again._

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 2**

Elena

* * *

This is why I stopped dealing with beginners years ago. They don't know what they want and they have a thousand questions. _How? Why?_ God, it's annoying!

Christian didn't ask any questions. He was an exemplary beginner. He didn't need to know 'how' or 'why' he just went with and learned as we moved along. _Too bad it turned out he was a one of a kind…_

"Why is that?" I ask, trying to keep my patience.

"I would like to have control over my life" She whispers and I curse inwardly. _This is not going according to plan._

"Like you have" She continues. "You're strong and beautiful and I don't think anyone would ever consider leaving you at the altar" Her eyes turn towards her feet.

_So she wants to be like me?_ I have to repress a scoff. _But if it's a mentor she's looking for, I could probably offer her some guidance…_

"You know I started out as a sub" I lower my voice as if this confession is something I'd rather not share. _I only subbed for two sessions before I decided I didn't want to be controlled – I wanted to control – but she doesn't have to know that._

"My friend I was talking about earlier started out as a sub as well" I continue my confession. _Oh yes, Christian was a great sub…_ "He was a sub for six years and now he's one of the most powerful men in Seattle, not to say in the entire U.S"

Her eyes grow wider and I decide I might as well strike while the iron's hot. "Being someone's sub takes all your focus away from daily decisions; what to wear, how to behave, what you want, what you need and so on – the only thing you have to worry about is pleasing your Dominant, everything else he will take care of"

She's still looking at me, hanging by my every word. "He will look after you and that will give you time to focus on yourself – to find _your_ inner strength, and by pushing you to test your limits your Dominant will aid you in that search as well"

_What a load of bullshit!_ Is she really buying into this crap?

"What do you mean 'testing my limits'?" _Obviously she does…_

I smile in an attempt to look comforting. _Yeah, what the fuck do I mean?_ He will train you to be able to withstand a beating to his likings is probably not the answer she's looking for.

"Widening your horizon, helping you to understand who _you_ really are" _Where did I ever even learn these shitty clichés?_

"You need to know that if you want to be in control" I add, knowing that will probably sit well with her – she seems to be obsessing about being in control. Sadly enough as she really is a natural submissive.

She nods; the look on her face is so serious I have to try really hard not to laugh. _Is it even possible to be this naïve?_

"Maybe you'll need some time to let this digest?" _And I really need some time with Isaac in my playroom. _After this conversation I have a lot of frustration that I need to get out.

Anastasia nods. "Yeah. I think I need that"

I smile again. _God, I've been smiling so much this evening my face muscles will be sore tomorrow._ "Go home and get a good night's sleep and stop by for lunch tomorrow and we can continue this discussion. Don't worry about the salon – I'll get someone to fill in for you"

"O-okay" She nods again and I call the maid to come see her out.

"See you tomorrow, Anastasia" I say before I pick my phone up and head towards the next room. _Isaac better pick up if he knows what's good for him._

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 2**

Anastasia

* * *

I get into my car and slump down at the driver's seat. I feel…I don't know… I'm excited at the thought of finally getting to learn how to gain control over my life, but at the same time…I don't know. It just seems so…bizarre. I'm sure that not everyone out there that has control over their lives has attained it by being a submissive.

And why can't her friend find his own girls? Why does Elena have to be his pimp? Is he ugly? Does he have some sort of issue with people?

And how exactly is he supposed to be testing my limits and widening my horizon? She never answered that.

I put the key in the ignition and start the car. _There are just so many questions I wish I'd asked._ Maybe I should write them down for tomorrow.

I nod to myself as I pull out of the driveway. Yes. That's what I should do. I should come prepared tomorrow – with the all the questions I want to ask. And I won't agree to anything until I get the answers I want.


	3. Chapter 3

Some reviewers have asked when we'll get to see Christian's point of view, and I thought I might as well answer it here in case there are others wondering as well. This story will jump between all three main character's point of view; Elena, Anastasia and Christian, the latter which will make his first appearance soon.

And also a little disclaimer: as you might already have figured out, I don't own the characters (although I am to blame for the current change in Ana's character) E.L James does and the contract mentioned in this chapter was made up by her imagination – not mine, I'm just borrowing it! Everything in bold is copied from the contract E.L James presented in the first book of her trilogy.

This is a rather short chapter and I'm sorry for that - the next one will be longer!

* * *

**The perfect birthday present**

Elena

* * *

_Fuck!_ I slam the phone down on the kitchen counter.

I really need that stubborn little bitch to say yes and sign the God damn contract so I can get Christian of my back. I don't need him to tell me how to run my business. I fucking made him who he is!

If it weren't for me, he'd have continued down that self-destructive road and would probably have been locked away somewhere by now. He owes me everything. Where does he think he's coming from trying to control the way I chose to run my salons?

_He doesn't even care about the fucking salons!_ It's just his need for control that gets the better of him. How long has he been without a sub? Two months? He's bordering on being insufferable.

I'm sure Anastasia will keep him plenty occupied and satisfy his obsessive need for control. _She's fucking perfect for the task._ I doubt she's even capable of breathing on her own unless someone tells her how. Why is she fighting her instincts – her nature?

It's still early in the morning, but I pour myself a glass of wine to take with me into my home office. _It's five o'clock somewhere, right?_

Once I'm sat in my office chair, I pull out a copy of the standard contract Christian uses with his submissives and start looking through it. I need to make sure the little goose doesn't get overwhelmed and run when I hand it to her. I need to ease her into this; I need to find a way to twist the words so she actually thinks this will lead to her getting in control over her life. _Some people just weren't meant to be in control…_

**The fundamental purpose of this contract is to allow the Submissive to explore her sensuality and her limits safely**

That's good, we talked about this yesterday – how exploring her limits will eventually lead to her gaining control. I'll make sure to point that out.

I highlight that part in my copy of the contract and move on, I'm sure there's more in here I can twist in my favor. _Blah, blah, blah, everything is consensual and everyone's safe and healthy._ He sure is meticulous in getting everything in print and covering all bases._ It was a different tune when he was fifteen and couldn't seem get out of his clothes and into the playroom fast enough…_

Okay, clauses 7 and 9 I can work with.

**7. The Dominant shall take responsibility for the wellbeing and the proper training, guidance, and discipline of the Submissive. He shall decide the nature of such training, guidance, and discipline and the time and place of its administration, subject to the agreed terms, limitations and safety procedures set out in this contract or agreed additionally under clause 3 above.**

I highlight the word 'guidance' and then do the same towards the end of clause 9: **she shall accept without query or hesitation his training, guidance and discipline in whatever form it may take.**

She'll like that. Guidance – towards what it doesn't explicitly say in the contract, which leaves me room to offer her an interpretation I'm sure will guide her towards making the right decision.

I scoff as I come across the sentence: **The Dominant and Submissive enter into this contract on The Commencement Date fully aware of its nature…** Fully aware of its nature? _Christian would surely scold me for misleading Miss Steele if he knew what I was up to._ He's so picky. Sometimes people simply don't understand what's best for them and they need someone like me – to lead them onto the right path.

Although, I better make sure Anastasia keeps her mouth shut to Christian about all of this wanting-to-be-in-control talk. But I do have a whole week to get her into the right mindset before it's time to wrap her into a pretty little package for him to open.

I'm thinking about changing the availability clause and have her at his disposal for a full seven days to begin her training before returning to the standard weekend agreement. I don't want to give little Miss obsessed-with-control too much time to think through what's happening until it's too late and she has already fallen for those gray eyes and that pretty face. _They all do sooner or later. And they all stay because they all think that they are what he needs – that special someone that he will want to give more._

Fools! They're all fools. _Love_ is for fools. And Christian isn't a fool. _Luckily, they don't know that._

I continue to read the rest of the contract, highlighting words that'll work in my favor and underlining those I'd better distract her attention from; like the different forms of punishment waiting in her future or the statement in clause 15.13 saying that she will be his property upon signing the contract.

If Christian is going to accept my birthday present, he has to be under the impression that Anastasia has read and clearly understood every last word of the contract. But that doesn't mean I have to go into detail when explaining it to her. At least not regarding the parts that will have her doubting my honorable intentions.

_"__I would like to have control over my life…like you have"_

I scoff. She's nothing like me. She's weak and gullible – both things which I'm not. But if she wants to believe that being a sub can turn her into someone like me – who am I to tell her otherwise?

Besides, it won't be long before she stops denying her true self, Christian is a Master at exercising control and I'm sure Miss Steele will soon realize her rightful place in this world.

I glance over the appendices. The rules look okay and I guess the hard limits won't bother her too much either since they only state things that won't be done. The soft limits on the other hand…it might be wise to hold that one off for now, until she's gotten accustomed to idea of being punished.

I place the copies with my notes on them in a folder. Now, all I need to do is to call Christian and make sure he doesn't have any business trips planned for next week before I make the changes to the availability clause. But with the mergers he finished last week, I'm pretty sure next week will be a slow week business-wise. That's good, that will give him plenty of time to play with his new toy…

* * *

**The perfect birthday present**

Anastasia

* * *

I thank God every day when I walk across the parking lot and see my car still standing in the same place I left it. Not that I really think anyone would find it worthwhile stealing it, but in these neighborhoods…you can't be sure.

I get into the car and start the engine. I feel different today. I have a newfound determination that I feel is slowly seeping into every bone in my body. Even the way I turn the wheel when I leave the parking lot feels different. Determined. Confident.

I have made my decision. After the phone call from my mother last night, I felt it. I'm determined. I don't want to be like her.

Her words are still echoing through my mind.

_ "__You're still young, there are many eligible young men out there and I'm sure one of them will choose you as their future wife if only you give them a chance"_

Yes, one of them will choose me. _That's my mother ladies and gentlemen – still living in the 1800's._

I can't really blame her though, that's the way she was raised. She was raised to be a wife, obedient to her husband and caring for her family – and that's the way she raised her daughter to be as well.

But I don't want that. Not anymore. I don't want to be the perfect wife that only lives to satisfy and please her husband. I want to be in control. I want to be able to make my own decisions. I want to learn how to say 'no' without feeling my legs wobble and my heart racing.

I want people to look at me and recognize that I'm not someone they can push around just for the fun of it. I don't want to be a marionette doll unable to move unless someone pulls the strings. I want to be the one holding the strings.

And thanks to Elena, I now know how to achieve that.

I will put my trust to her. If she could be a submissive – so could I. She's actually offering me to walk in her footsteps on the road towards absolute control.

I still hold to my initial response that not everyone that is in control of their lives has attained that control by submitting every claim on it to someone else. But this is the hand that has been dealt to me. Elena recognized how lost I am and has offered to help me find my way. _I can't believe I thought about turning her proposition down._

I can feel it already. I feel secure and confident about this decision – this decision that I've made all on my own. _Maybe I'm learning already…_


	4. Chapter 4

Just to mention it again: The contract is copied right out of the books, even though it all won't be in bold this time. And also: there's a lot of contract-talk in this chapter and I apologize if that feels a bit slow, but it had to be done.

And one last thing before you're on to the chapter: I'm thinking about the future of this story, and I with that in mind – I have upped the rating to **M**: consider yourselves warned

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 4**

Elena

* * *

"Sandy" I step into the kitchen and my maid jumps at the sound of my voice. _That's good._ I want them to fear me; it keeps them on their toes. "Myself and Miss Steel will want wine with the salad"

I want Miss Steele to have something in her system to take the edge of some of the words in the contract. I don't want her over-thinking anything instead of just going with her submissive instincts.

"Yes Ma'am" She runs her hands over her apron and heads in the direction of the wine cellar to obey my order without delay. Sandy is a good employee that knows her place and I highly appreciate her services. _Too bad she's a blonde._

"Chose one of the whites I ordered last week" I add before she slips out of the kitchen.

"I will Ma'am"

The door bell rings and I hear Sandy turning on her heels and hurry towards the door. "Show Miss Steele into the dining room" I tell her as she hurries past me.

As I wait for Anastasia to get installed in the dining room, I take my time to check on the Caesar salad's Sandy prepared for us. They look okay even though cooking is not her main chore around the house. I have a cook for that purpose, but as I rarely eat lunch at home she only works afternoons and weekends, so today Sandy's cooking will have to suffice.

I wait until Sandy enters the kitchen again on her way to the wine cellar before I make my way towards the dining room.

Anastasia is standing next to table, looking a little lost. _Of course she does; no one has told her whether she should sit or stand as she waits for me._ I laugh quietly to myself, Christian will sure have his hands full with this one.

"Hello Anastasia" A little startled, she turns around at the sound of my voice.

"Hi Mrs. Lincoln" I smile. I don't know if it's her submissive nature or the fact that I'm her boss, but she can't seem to bring herself to call me by my first name. _Good._ I like that.

"Please…" I gesture towards one of the chairs. "…have a seat"

"Thank you" She sits herself down and I take my seat as well, across the table from her and call to Sandy to bring our lunch in.

We both wait in silence as Sandy sets our salads down and fills our glasses. I wait for her to leave the room before I take a sip of my wine and lean against the backrest of my chair. _Now, let's get this over with._

"Is there anything you're wondering at this point, Anastasia?" I might as well give her the impression that I actually give a fuck about her opinion; establish an illusion of friendliness before we move on to the harder stuff.

She puts her glass down, half-way to her mouth. "I-I do have a couple of questions" I put on a smile; an illusion of a patience I do not have. _Of course she does._

"Go ahead, I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability" _Or at least make you think so._

"Well…" She picks a folded paper out of the hand bag she'd placed next to her chair. "…I wrote everything I could think of down last night" She places a ridiculous amount of effort into straightening the paper out as she places it next to her plate.

She clears her throat, and seeking comfort in her words on the paper she begins her questioning in a shaky voice. "You said he'll be testing my limits and widening my horizon, I'm not sure I understand what that entails"

_Oh, crap!_ "That was not a question, Anastasia" _How do I weasel my way out of this one?_

"I'm sorry" She straightens the already straight paper out again. "What does that entail?"

"Exactly what is says; testing your limits and widening your horizon" The look on her face is puzzled to say the least as she finally takes her eyes off the paper. I sigh.

"At times your Dominant – or your Master as he is also called – will demand something of you that you might not think you can do" _Like accepting his punishments without uttering a sound._ "But with his guidance you'll be able to overcome that, and in the end – that will make you stronger"

She nods slowly as the words sink in. "That makes sense"

"Of course it does" I try not to sound too patronizing. I'm supposed to be her friend; her mentor, I remind myself, trying not to laugh at her naivety.

"Why…" She stops herself and takes a deep breath before continues. "Why can't your friend find his own girls?"

I have to laugh at that. The thought of_ Christian_ having problems finding girls on his own is laughable. "Oh, sweetie" She looks at me as if I'm crazy and I stifle my laugh. "My friend has no problems with finding girls on his own, in fact – they usually find him"

A small frown appears on her forehead. "So, why me?"

_Because you were in the right place at the right time, literally begging for someone to take control over you. _I plaster on another friendly, reassuring smile. "Because you're perfect for him. He has a very specific taste in women and you fit his standards perfectly – that and the fact that you're suffering from a lack of control in your life makes you perfect for him"

"Oh" She takes a bite of her salad. "So he's not seeing anyone right now?"

Seeing anyone? What does she think – that they are going to date? "No. He's currently without a submissive"

She nods again. _At least she's not taking notes on that silly, little piece of paper._

She turns to her paper again. "So, how does this work – him controlling me. I mean, does he tell me what to do and I just…obey? Is he gonna follow me around all the time to make sure I obey? What about work and stuff? Is he gonna follow me there too?"

I put my hand up to stop her rambling and she stops speaking. "You know what? I think a lot of your questions will be answered if we take a look at the contract I mentioned yesterday"

I reach for the folder I placed next to my seat before she arrived and hands her a copy of the rules stated in Christian's standard contract. After giving it some thought this morning, I decided that that's the safest place to start – kind of like a warm up before moving on to the actual contract.

"This is an appendix to my friend's contract, but as you are new to all of this, I think that's the best end to start at, as it contains general rules of what he'll expect of you as his submissive"

She nods and takes the paper from my hand. She doesn't say a word, but I see her eyes widen as she glances it over.

"It looks very extensive" She mumbles without taking her eyes off the paper.

"Yes, as I mentioned yesterday, my friend likes to exercise control in all aspects of the word. And to be honest Anastasia, I think that's what you need right now; someone to take care of you and look after you" _And remind you of your true nature, and give you a good beating if you'd happen to forget._

Her teeth sink into her lower lip and I can practically see the wheels turning inside her mind. _What now?_ It's a good thing I – just like Christian – is a master at control, even self-control, because right now I would want nothing more than to reach across the table and slap her across the face to return her focus onto the things we're supposed to be discussing.

I do no such thing, instead I tilt my head to the side in what I believe is a compassionate gesture. "What's on your mind Anastasia?" I can't believe how mild and tender my voice can sound even though I want to shout at her.

She shakes her head and puts the papers down. "Nothing" A smile appears on her lips. "The extent of everything he wants to control if I were to be his submissive just caught me off-guard" Her smile widens. "But I trust you. If you did this, so can I and it's the means to an end, right?"

It takes a while before I catch on to what she's talking about. _Oh, yeah – my two sessions as a sub._ That little piece of admission seems to have made an impact on her.

"It is" I nod and reach across the table to grab her hand in a friendly and reassuring manner. "And you will learn so much about yourself on your way there" I squeeze her hand lightly before I let go. She squeezes back and smiles. _Good._ Let's move one while she's still eating out of my hand, shall we?

"How long did it take you?" She blurts the question out before I have the chance to redirect her attention towards Christian's rules.

"How long did what take me?" _Christ – she seems set on testing my patience today!_ I have to consciously remind myself that she's new to all of this and I don't want to scare her away.

Anastasia hesitates for a few seconds before she answers my question. "How long did you have to be a submissive before you were able to take control?"

Of course. I should have anticipated that question. Always so eager to gain control. Why, I cannot fathom as she is so clearly not cut out for it.

"For a while" I have no moral oppositions against lying as long as it serves my purposes, but I don't want to give her a time frame; if it's too long she'll probably back out and if it's too short – well, then Christian would most likely be sub-less again and I really need a fucking break!

"It's an individual journey, Anastasia" _Really? A fucking journey?_ Well, as long as she's buying into it, we can refer to it as a journey.

She nods in understanding.

"You'll feel when you're ready" I assure her while stifling a laughter. _She_ will never be ready. "Now, let's return to the appendix. Pick up your paper Anastasia" I nod towards the paper before her and she obeys. _Of course she does._

I pick up my copy of the paper as well and start reading. "Obedience. The submissive will obey any instructions given by the Dominant immediately without hesitation and in an expeditious manner" I make a short stop to make sure she's following. "Do you understand the meaning of this Anastasia?"

"Yes" She looks up from the paper and meets my eyes.

"Good" _Maybe…_A thought crosses my mind. _That might be a good idea, seeing how picky Christian is about his rules and contracts._ "I would want you to study these rules before you meet my friend, Anastasia, learn them by heart so that you can assure him you've understood the rules and are willing to follow them"

Her eyes move down the paper and back up again. "All of them?"

"Yes" My answer is short and sharp. _Why does she have to keep questioning everything?_ Wouldn't it be fun for Christian if his little doll could tell him herself that she wants to obey him and follow his rules?_ And maybe that will keep him from wanting to go over the contract with her again and give her a chance to voice any doubts._

"Do you think you can do that for him, Anastasia?" The sugar-coat is off. This is my Dominant voice surfacing. But just for now, just to remind her that _I'm_ the one in charge here. _I_ should be the one asking the questions if there are any. All she has to do is answer.

"Yes, Mrs. Lincoln" I smirk. The way her eyes widen and her cheeks blush it's obvious she didn't mean to be so formal. I guess it was her submissive nature simply reacting to my Dominant one. _A little reminder of just how right her instincts are might be in place._

"In the future, Anastasia, I would prefer it if you'd stick to calling me Mrs. Lincoln – or ma'am if you'd prefer – just to get you in the right mindset as my friend will require you to conduct yourself in a respectful manner towards him"

"Always?"

_No, only on Thursday's and Sunday's. _Is she stupid or something? "Yes always. It is very important that you show your Dominant the respect he deserves"

Anastasia nods. "Okay"

Lowering my papers, I meet her eyes across the table. "Okay, what, Anastasia?"

She looks lost for a moment before she finally catches on. "Okay, Mrs. Lincoln" She murmurs.

"Good" I nod and offer her a smile. Training a sub is very similar to training a dog – you have to give some kind of acknowledgement when they've done something good, to make sure it sticks.

"Let's move on: The submissive will agree to any sexual activity deemed fit and pleasurable by the Dominant excepting those activities which are outlined in hard limits – appendix 2. She will do so eagerly and without hesitation"

She takes her eyes off the paper and focuses them on me. "What's hard limits?"

I repress a sigh. "Things he, or you, will absolutely not do, but we'll get to that soon. Do you understand the Obedience rule Anastasia?"

"Yes" She nods, but freezes instantly as she catches my glare. _That's right sweetie – you better start learning already._ "I mean, yes Mrs. Lincoln" She corrects herself and I grant her a smile.

"Next rule: sleep. The Submissive will ensure she achieves a minimum of eight hours sleep a night when she is not with the Dominant" I look up from the paper to meet her eyes. "That doesn't sound too hard, does it Anastasia?"

"No ma'am"

"Good" _God. Why the fuck does Christian even care how well his submissives sleep or eat? As long as they're willing to be fucked and flogged – who cares?_

"Next rule: Food. The Submissive will eat regularly to maintain her health and wellbeing from a prescribed list of foods – appendix 4. The Submissive will not snack between meals, with the exception of fruit" I meet her eyes again and she nods, so without further ado, I continue on to the next rule.

"Clothes. During the term the Submissive will wear clothing only approved by the Dominant. The Dominant will provide a clothing budget for the Submissive, which the Submissive shall utilize. The Dominant shall accompany the–" I cut myself off as I notice Anastasia frowning at my words. _What in hell could be the problem this time?_

"Is there a problem Anastasia?" I make sure the irritation I feel is not displayed in my voice.

She looks down at the table, fidgeting with the table cloth. "It's just…" There's a short pause before she continues. "I don't think I'd be comfortable with letting him pay for my clothes"

This time I make no attempt to stifle my laugh. "He can afford it, trust me on that Anastasia"

"But I don't want…" She straightens the table cloth out. "It feels…cheap"

_Oh, for crying out loud!_ "I don't think that is his intention. He only wants to make sure that you look presentable" She'll probably have a fit with the Audi. Good thing it's not mentioned in the contract.

She still doesn't look convinced. "You can always leave the clothes with him if either of you decide that you want to terminate your contract" She starts chewing on her bottom lip. "Look at it as a school uniform" _That's actually good. _She'll probably like that. "You're there to learn and your teacher wants you to wear a certain uniform while you do so"

There's a long silence before she says anything. "I guess if he takes them back…after…that would be okay"

"Good" I point towards the paper in her hand to indicate that I'm about to continue my reading of the rules. "The Dominant shall accompany the Submissive to purchase clothing on an ad hoc basis. If the Dominant so requires, the Submissive shall, during the term wear adornments the Dominant shall require, in the presence of the Dominant and in any other time the Dominant deems fit."

She purses her lips together. "Are we done discussing the clothes rule Anastasia?"

She nods. "Yes, Mrs. Lincoln"

I nod. "Next rule is about exercise. The Dominant shall provide the Submissive with a personal trainer four times a week in hour-long sessions at times to be mutually agreed between the personal trainer and the Submissive. The personal trainer will report to the Dominant on the Submissive's progress"

And the frown is back. _I'm really starting to hate that frown. _"Is that much exercise really necessary?"

"Yes" I snap. "Next rule: personal hygiene and beauty. The Submissive will keep herself clean and shaved and/or waxed at all times" Anastasia's eyes widen, but she doesn't say anything.

"The Submissive will visit a beauty salon of the Dominant's choosing at times to be decided by the Dominant, and undergo whatever treatments the Dominant sees fit. All costs will be met by the Dominant"

Her mouth opens – to protest I'm sure, but I beat her to it. "We can negotiate that all treatments takes place at Esclava and we'll call it a personnel discount, okay?" _She doesn't have to know whether Christian pays for the treatments or not, as long as she agrees to them._

Her mouth closes again and she nods.

"Good. Now, personal safety: The submissive will not drink to excess, smoke, take recreational drugs or out herself in any unnecessary danger. I don't think any of that will be a problem, will it Anastasia?"

"No ma'am"

_Good girl. _I nod and smile.

"Last, but not least: personal qualities. The Submissive will not enter into any sexual relations with anyone other than the Dominant." I look up and Anastasia nods.

"The Submissive will conduct herself in a respectful and modest manner at all times." She nods again. "She must recognize that her behavior is a direct reflection on the Dominant. She shall be held accountable for any misdeeds, wrongdoings and misbehavior committed when not in the presence of the Dominant" Another nod.

"Do you understand what will be requested of you, Anastasia?"

"Yes ma'am" She nods yet again before she turns her gaze back to the paper in her hand.

Suddenly, her eyes widen and the little color she has disappears from her face. _What is it now?_ I repress a sigh and put on my most sympathetic face.

"Is there a problem, Anastasia?"

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 4**

Anastasia

* * *

I can't rip my eyes off of the words at the bottom of the appendix. I read them again and again, unable to really comprehend their meaning – or rather unwilling to do so.

**Failure to comply with any of the above will result in immediate punishment, the nature of which shall be determined by the Dominant**

Somewhere in the back of my mind I register that Elena is asking me something. But I can't focus on either her question or an answer to it.

**immediate punishment**

The words stand out among the others. Punishment?

"Anastasia!" Elena raises her voice and I force my eyes off the paper. "Is there a problem?" She tilts her head and there's a worried look on her face.

"Well…I…" I let out a breath of air. "It…at the bottom…" I turn the paper for her to see and point at the words. "There's talk about a punishment"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Her voice is stern and I feel like I'm shrinking in my chair.

"Well…I…" _Why can't I just tell her straight up that I have a problem with the thought of being punished?_ "What kind of punishment?"

The tone of her voice is softer when she speaks again. "It's up to your Dominant to decide"

"That sounds kind of arbitrary…" I mumble as my mind drifts away.

I can't do this. Punishments? No. I wasn't even punished as a child. _Of course, I doubt there was ever a reason to even consider that. _"What kind of punishments are there?" I hear the question leaving my mouth before I can stop it. Do I really want to know?

"Well, that the depends on how severe the violation is and which punishment your Dominant will see fit"

No. There's no way I'm doing this. The clothes, the food or the exercise – I can budge on that, seeing as it is for a greater cause: the pursuit of control. But this? No.

"You know…" Elena leans towards me over the table and lowers her voice. "…at times, being punished can be quite pleasurable"

_She's kidding, right?_ She's got to be kidding.

The shock on my face has to be pretty evident, as Elena sighs and leans back in her chair again. "Or maybe I was wrong; maybe you don't have it in you. Maybe you were never cut out to learn how to be in control" She shrugs her shoulders. "Not everyone are. I endured my punishments, because I knew they made me stronger – but then again, maybe you're not strong enough to begin with"

I know I'm staring at her, but I can't stop.

_Not strong enough? _

_Not cut out to be in control?_

I can practically feel the confidence and security I felt on the drive here slipping away from me.

* * *

To begin with I wanted to get the lunch all in one chapter, but this got to be kind of long and there's still so much more I have planned for the lunch – so I'm dividing it in two and the next chapter will pick up right where this left off.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the very short chapter and the waiting for it, but life has been pretty busy lately and I haven't had as much time to write and I figured you'd rather have a short update than no update at all.

But I'm hoping the ending of this chapter might make up for the wait and the shortness ;)

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 5**

Anastasia

* * *

**Recap from last chapter (to help refresh your memory since it's been little over a week since my last update):**

The shock on my face has to be pretty evident, as Elena sighs and leans back in her chair again. "Or maybe I was wrong; maybe you don't have it in you. Maybe you were never cut out to learn how to be in control" She shrugs her shoulders. "Not everyone is. I endured my punishments, because I knew they made me stronger – but then again, maybe you're not strong enough to begin with."

I know I'm staring at her, but I can't stop.

_Not strong enough? _

_Not cut out to be in control?_

I can practically feel the confidence and security I felt on the drive here slipping away from me.

* * *

If this is what the road towards control looks like, then maybe Elena's right: I'm not cut out for it. Maybe I'm not strong enough.

I'm torn between the instinct to get up from my chair, run for the door and never look back and the want to know what else is in that contract. She did say that this was merely an appendix to the contract, stating the general rules. Maybe the actual contract will be more specific.

I decide to stay for a little while longer, to at least take a look at the contract. _But there's no way I'll ever agree to being punished._ Maybe there's room for negotiation in the confines of the contract?

"Let's move on to the contract" I say, surprised at how steady my voice sounds.

The smile that appears on Elena's lips raises an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It looks so…smug. No, I'm probably mistaken.

"Good" She reaches a couple of papers across the table and I see the word 'contract' in big black letters on the top one.

_Mr. Christian Grey_, I read what I assume is his name followed by the title: 'The Dominant'. I scan my brain, trying to figure out if I've ever heard that name before. _It doesn't ring any bells._

Elena has already added my name to the contract as well, followed by the title: 'The Submissive'. I don't know why, but I'm not sure I like the sound of that. Not now, when I know what that entails.

"So…" Elena starts. "…let's go through this together, shall we?"

I look down at the contract and back to Elena again. "Maybe…" I feel my voice falter and take a deep breath to steady it again. "…maybe it's better I just read it myself and ask if I have any questions?"

Elena frowns and I avoid her gaze. I just don't want her reading it to me like I'm a child that needs her to hold my hand as I read. It felt weird enough with the rules; a contract that spans over four pages specifying a sexual relation that I may or may not chose to enter into will be beyond weird.

Elena sighs loudly, but soon enough the smile is back on her face. "Of course, dear." Her voice is soft and smooth, soothing almost. "Just promise me you'll voice all and any concern you might come across."

"I will" I promise before I engage myself in reading the contract.

The wording is very formal, almost like an employment agreement and it doesn't feel real. Reading about 'The Dominant' and 'The Submissive', I feel like I'm reading some sort of fiction. This is too far away from any kind of reality I've ever been in contact with.

_The Dominant shall do that and the Submissive shall do this… _This contract in companion with the rules takes the word 'control freak' to a whole other level. Somehow the novel _1984_ comes to mind and I almost anticipate a clause stating what the Submissive is allowed to think. That surely helps adding to the unreal feeling of it all.

That unreal, distant feeling stays with me all the way until clause 15.5 before reality hits me again like a slap in the face.

_The Dominant may discipline the Submissive as necessary to ensure the Submissive fully appreciates her role of subservience to the Dominant and to discourage unacceptable conduct. The dominant may flog, spank, whip or corporally punish the Submissive as he sees fit, for purposes of discipline, for his own personal enjoyment, or for any other reason, which he is not obliged to provide._

I don't know what's most disturbing: the mention of flogging and whipping among other things or the fact that apparently he can chose to punish _for his own personal enjoyment_.

_No._ This is too twisted. All of it.

"No" I put the papers down and am met with Elena's disapproving eyes staring right at me. I don't care anymore. If she's done this – both in the role of 'The Dominant' and in the role of 'The Submissive' – she's twisted as well, and her disapproval is most probably a good sign.

"What do you mean 'no', Anastasia?" Elena's voice is stern and for a moment I freeze. But then, images of her with that stern voice and a whip in her hand come to mind and I push myself up from my seat on shaky legs, making the chair fall to the floor behind me.

"No" I shake my head. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." I grab my bag and all but flee towards the door.

I think Elena's shouting something behind me, calling my name maybe – but I focus all my attention on making it to the door as fast as possible to go home and forget any of this ever happened.

When I finally reach the door, I fling it open and throw myself out.

I don't get very far though as there seems to be something in my way. A wall of hard muscles hidden behind a crisp white shirt hinders my escape and I bounce back, stumbling over my own feet and before I know it, I'm lying on the floor looking up at an extremely handsome stranger.

He's well-built with thick, ruffled copper hair and grey eyes and there's an amused smirk playing on his lips as he bends down and offers me his hand to help me off the floor.

"Are you okay?" His voice mesmerizes me and it takes a couple of seconds before I realize his hand is still hanging in the air before me, waiting for me to grab it.

"Uhm, yeah. I think so." I answer and curse at myself inwardly for probably sounding like a complete idiot.

I reach up to grab his hand and there's a weird sensation rushing through my entire body as he closes his fingers around my hand. I hear myself gasp as he pulls me up into a standing position with very little help from the stupefied version of me that I seem to have transformed into the second I hit the floor.

Once I'm stable on my feet, well as stable as you could possibly be when a Greek God just materialized himself in front of you, I tilt my head up to apologize for crashing into him like that.

The words seem to get stuck in my throat though, as I meet his intense grey eyes staring down at me. I gulp. He opens his mouth to say something when Elena's voice is heard behind us.

"Christian!" I can practically hear the smile in her voice and my head starts spinning. _Christian?_ As in Mr. Christian Grey – The Dominant?

It's not until I instinctively go to pull my hand back that I realize he's still holding on to it. The Greek God seems to be every bit as surprised as I am over that fact and quickly releases his grip around my fingers.

I take a step back, both scared of and drawn to the man standing before me. The latter of which makes no sense at all as I've hardly spoken a word to him – but there's a magnetic pull that seems to make it damn near impossible for me to tear my eyes away from him.

There's a small voice in the back of my head telling me to run. This is the man that delivers punishments _for his own personal enjoyment_. And still, I can't seem to make my feet move.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 5**

Elena

* * *

If there is such a thing as destiny – it's definitely working on my side. I thought I'd have to surrender and start looking for a new birthday present for Christian when little Miss Steele suddenly decided to take on the role of troublemaker. But, only seconds later, here she is; in my hallway practically swooning at the vision that is Christian Grey himself. _That's good – I hate last minute shopping._

If I play my cards right from here on, there still might be a chance that she agrees. I am yet to see the woman that is able to resist Christian's good looks and slightly dangerous appeal.

"Christian!" I smile as I announce myself, a smile that grows larger as I see Anastasia tense at the mention of his name. _Good, she has connected the dots._

Anastasia distances herself from Christian, but she doesn't seem to pick up her flight. I offer her a small smile of encouragement before I turn to Christian again.

"Elena." He nods.

Putting on my most agreeable look, I gesture for him to step into the hallway. "Your timing is impeccable" I say with a sweet smile. "Anastasia here…" I gesture to clarify that I'm talking about the wide-eyed staring girl at his side. "…and I were just about to go out onto the patio and sit down for coffee together. Why don't you join us?"

He doesn't answer right away; instead he turns to look Anastasia up and down with an interested, almost hungry, gleam in his eyes. _This just keeps getting better and better._

"I'd love to." He finally says without taking his eyes off of her.

_Oh, Christian. _I have to consciously stop myself from rubbing my hands together. _This will be the best birthday you'd ever had. _


	6. Chapter 6

I started answering reviews, but somehow lost track on where I was and which reviews I had responded to already (add a horrible cold and a little fever to that and you'll get some of the confusion I was in) – **if I haven't given you a personal response to your review, just know that I love every word you send me as feedback and you're all inspiring me to keep writing!**

I know this chapter is bit a delayed, I've been on vacation for almost a week and right before that the cold took over and everything I wrote during that was…well, pretty much horrible.

And as always: huge thanks to **DottiG** for helping me beta my chapters before I post them!

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 6**

Anastasia

* * *

"Anastasia here," Elena waves a hand absently in my direction. "and I were just about to go out onto the patio and sit down for coffee together." Her voice sounds like it's coming from some place far, far away and her words confuse me. _No._ We weren't about to sit down for coffee – I was about to leave because this woman is sick and twisted and…

"Why don't you join us?" Elena asks and when Christian turns to look at me and I feel his gaze burning on my skin, my resolve to leave seems to desert me. There's something about that look that both scares and tempts me in equal measure.

_He's just like her – sick and twisted_, that small voice in the back of my head tries to remind me but when Christian's eyes reach mine and I meet the intensity in them, it's not hard to ignore that little voice of reason.

"I'd love to." He accepts her invite without taking his eyes off of me and I feel my pulse quicken. _I can't believe I'm about to sit down for coffee with this beautiful man!_

_This beautiful man that wants to strip your clothes off and work floggers and whips on your bare skin __**for his own personal enjoyment!**_ That little voice in the back of my head screams and I finally manage to rip my eyes away from the Greek God in the hallway.

What am I doing? I shouldn't even consider staying; I should leave right now and forget any of this ever happened.

"I-I can't stay." I feel my mouth moving and I hear the words coming out of it, but I still can't quite believe I'm actually saying them. _Who in their right mind would turn down the opportunity to spend time with a man that beautiful? Especially when he looks at you like that._

_Anyone who knows what you know about him_, that little voice of reason shoots back and I have to agree. Leaving is the right thing to do at this point. Nothing else would make sense. _So why aren't I moving?_

"Don't be silly." Elena's voice is soft and friendly, nice even – but the glare she sends my way isn't anything near nice and I feel a shiver running through my body strengthening my resolve to leave.

"I have to…" I gesture towards the door. _I have to what?_ "I have that thing I need to do." I cringe as the words leave my mouth. _That thing?_ I don't think I could make my excuse to leave sound anymore fake even if I tried.

"Really?" There's ice in Elena's voice and I avoid her piercing gaze as I nod.

"Yeah." My voice is surprisingly strong and determined and I dare to look up and meet her eyes with an equally piercing stare.

Elena opens her mouth to say something and judging by the look in her eyes, I'm pretty sure it's not 'okay then, drive safe', but before any words leave her mouth, Christian's soft voice fills the room.

"I thought you were just about to sit down for coffee?" When I turn my head to look at him, it's a reflex rather than a conscious action but – _Oh, my God_ – it's my undoing. If I didn't know better I'd say the look in his eyes is both disappointed and pleading and suddenly I can't seem to remember why it felt so important to leave.

_It's just coffee, right?_ It's not like he's going to bend me over the coffee table and produce a whip out of his back pocket just like that. The little voice of reason in the back of my head is awfully quiet, so I'm guessing she doesn't have any objections.

"Maybe I could stay for a little while." My voice is reduced to just above a whisper and my heart flutters as the disappointed look in Christian's eyes is replaced with one of satisfaction and something else I can't quite put a name on but that makes my entire body tingle with delight.

_What have I just gotten myself into?_

* * *

My mother always lectured me about how I should learn to drink coffee, because that's what people usually prepare to serve when they invite you over for coffee and every time I ask for tea instead the host or hostess have to go through all this extra trouble of producing a cup of tea along with the coffee they've already made. She says it makes me look ungrateful.

I stare at the cup, still full of coffee, on the table before me and repress a sigh. I did give it my best effort, but I just can't understand why people would voluntarily pour this awful-tasting liquid down their throats. Taking the smallest sip possible, I try to hide the grimace that involuntarily forms on my face each time I feel compelled to give this tar-like drink another try.

"Not a big coffee drinker?" Christian's voice rips me away from my thoughts. He smirks, nodding towards the cup in front of me.

I shake my head, feeling a blush spread across my cheeks. _Why? _Because he's _talking_ to me? I really need to get a grip. "Not really. I prefer tea." I murmur the words, hoping I don't sound too ungrateful.

A curious look spreads across his face. "Why didn't you say so?"

I can't help but smile. He makes it sound so simple. _Why didn't I say so?_ "I don't know." I answer honestly, feeling my smile grow wider.

He chuckles, it sounds hearty and warm and I get the impression it's more of an answer to my smile than derision towards my inability of _saying so_.

"Elena." He turns towards the woman on my other side, whom – I just realize – has been watching us in silence with a smug hint of a smile on her perfectly painted red lips. "Won't you please tell Sandy to make Miss Steele a cup of tea instead of her coffee?"

The sentence he just spoke might be formed as a question, but the tone of his voice leaves no doubt in mind that it is an order and I find myself holding my breath waiting for Elena's answer. She doesn't seem like the kind of person that would gladly follow orders given by anyone else than herself.

But she surprises me when she smiles wide and removes my cup from the table. "Of course. I'll even make it myself." Her voice is soft and matches the friendly smile on her face. "I'll be right back."

With that, she leaves the patio and at first I'm too surprised by Elena's willingness to follow orders to realize I'm now left alone with the Greek God, but when he turns back to look at me – I'm very much aware of the fact that we're now alone.

The look in his eyes is predatory to say the least and I gulp. I feel like I'm sitting next to a wild animal about to attack and devour me. _Why does that thought initiate a tingling feeling between my thighs when I know I should get up and run as fast as my legs would carry in the opposite direction?_

"So, Miss Steele…" He smirks and leans back in his chair. "…tell me about yourself."

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 6**

Elena

* * *

I take my time getting Anastasia's tea ready. There's no need to rush. Quite the opposite actually – the more time she spends in Christian's company, the more likely she is to say yes to signing the contract. I'm yet to meet the woman that is able to withstand his charm and good looks. _His timing really couldn't have been any more perfect._

I peek out the kitchen window and see the two of them, deeply engaged in conversation and as I know they can't see me, I allow the smug smile that's been fighting to make its way to my lips to spread fully across them.

I can't wait until Saturday when I'll get to see the look on Christian's face as I present his gift to him. I know very well the look he has on his face right now, I'm certain he's already picturing her on her knees in his playroom.

A chill slowly moves up my spine as I watch them together, or more accurately: as I watch him watching her. He wants her, there's no doubt about that, and Christian is an impatient man. _I need to make sure he doesn't open his present in advance – his birthday is still three days away and that would ruin the surprise completely._

I need a plan to make sure he thinks she's unavailable to his desires – at least until I've had a chance to wrap his present up into a perfect little package. A simple, yet brilliant, plan starts forming in the back of my mind. _Yes, of course, I know exactly what I need to do._

Having formed the outline of my little plan, I take Anastasia's tea with me and head back out onto the patio.

"I'm sorry." I excuse myself as I put the tea down in front of her. "I don't make tea that often and it took some time finding where Sandy had stored away the bags."

"Thank you." Anastasia whispers and she at least has the decency to blush over having made me go fetch her tea like I'm a simple servant. _Not that I mind though, as it served my purposes perfectly giving me an excuse to leave them alone._

I'm not normally one to take a backseat in conversations, but I let this time be an exception and I lean back and listen as Christian works his charms on a constantly blushing Anastasia. _She will sign the contract._ I can see it in her eyes as she looks at him. There's no way she'll ever pass on the opportunity to be with him. _Just like the rest of them._

I slowly sip at my coffee to disguise the smug smile that won't seem to want to leave my lips. _I wonder if I should actually wrap her up in paper like a present or if I should simply settle for a sexy, although not skanky, dress…_

* * *

**The perfect Birthday present – Chapter 6**

Christian

* * *

The coffee seems to be over all too soon and it is with reluctance and a sense of loss that I bid Anastasia goodbye and watch as she disappears through the front door. I don't know what it is about her, but I feel drawn to her in a way I've never felt drawn to a woman before.

I fucking flirted with her over coffee! And I never flirt. Flirting it too closely related to romance and courting – and I certainly don't do that.

Maybe it's just been too long since I had a sub. _Yeah, that's probably it._ I'm sexually frustrated and therefore it's only natural that my mind keeps jumping to certain dark and hot places when a beautiful, petite and pale-skinned brunette happens to cross my path.

_Very beautiful in deed…_ I watch through the open door as she makes her way to a beat-down car at the drive-way. _She's not seriously driving that, is she?_

"Forget it." I'm almost one foot out the door to stop her from getting into that death-trap when I hear Elena snap behind me and I reluctantly tear my gaze away from Anastasia's disappearing form.

"What?" I snap back, feeling like a kid caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

"I know that look." She smiles. "But forget it – she's already spoken for."

_Spoken for?_ My heart stops beating for the split of a second. _Does that mean…?_ I have to clear my throat before I'm able to speak again. "I don't know what you're talking about, Elena."

She scoffs. "You can't fool me, Christian. I noticed the way you look at her, but she already has a Dominant. In fact, that's why she was here – she's new to all of this and had a couple of questions she wanted a female perspective on and as her Dominant is a dear friend of mine I offered to have a Q and A lunch with her."

_She already has a Dominant?_ The thought of that sweet girl kneeling before another man evokes a feeling inside I'm not quite comfortable with. Pictures of her kneeling before _me_ and looking up at _me_ with those big, bright blue eyes as she handles _my_ cock has been on repeat in my mind ever since I actually had her at her knees before me at the doorstep.

Of course I didn't plan on making those pictures real. Of course not. But with learning she's a sub – that changes everything.

"Who's her Dominant?" I growl, a little bit too harsh probably as Elena literally jumps at the sound. I need to know who the lucky fucker that will get to spank that pale skin until it's flushing red is.

"No one you know." Elena answers quickly before she continues in a know-it-all voice: "And besides, you of all people, that holds confidentiality and privacy to such high standards should know better than to ask such questions."

I hate that she's right. I wouldn't have wanted her to give my name up if someone would've asked that same question about any of the subs I've had in the past. I sigh. "Fine. Do you have those numbers I asked for yesterday?" Moving on to business might help chase the frustration and those new images of that Anastasia girl in all kinds of positions for and with another Dominant away.


	7. Chapter 7

I know I should update my other stories, but my mind has gotten stuck on this one for the moment. I promise I'll steer it towards my other stories soon enough.

A huge thanks to **DottiG** for being my beta and human dictionary and letting me bounce ideas off of her!

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 7**

Christian

* * *

I know this isn't fair game. If anyone tried to pull the stunt I'm about to pull with a sub I was about to acquire I would rip his throat out in a second – but I can't help it. Ever since I found out this girl is a sub I haven't been able to get her out of my mind. _I have to have her._

Since she was at Elena's for a Q and A yesterday, I'm guessing she hasn't signed a contract yet with the lucky fucker that wants to introduce her to BDSM. There might still be a chance for me to change her mind. Steer her in a different direction – _towards me._

I sigh and lean my head back against the car seat. _What am I doing?_ I don't go chasing after subs, I chose them – I don't chase them. I close my eyes and as on cue those blue eyes starts parading behind my eyelids; looking up at me from somewhere around my crotch, dilating as I hover above her slowly stroking into her…I can feel my cock growing at the thought.

It's been ages since I felt this excited about a prospective sub. Truth to be told; I was starting to get rather bored. They're all the same, blending together in my mind to a faceless mesh of brown hair and pale skin. Don't get me wrong – I love those features in a woman, but it gets kind of tedious after a while. No one stands out among the crowd of eager women; no one but this one girl that already belongs to someone else. There's something about her that I can neither put my finger on nor let go. I sigh again as I open my eyes. _Fuck playing fair – I need this, I need her, the lucky fucker can find himself another sub._

I get out my car and head towards Anastasia's apartment building, the address to which I had Welch look up the second I left Elena's yesterday. The building lies in the midst of a run-down neighborhood and I shudder at the thought of Anastasia walking alone here at night. I wonder how hard it would be to convince her to move to a safer area. _Probably not that hard if I offer to pay the difference. _

Taking the steps leading up to the third floor two at a time, I reach her apartment in no time and ring the doorbell before I have a chance to stop and think about what I'm doing. _I need this._ I repeat the words in my mind, as if I'm trying to justify my actions to myself. _There's no way that other Dominant needs her the same way I do._

It doesn't take long before I hear someone inside the apartment moving closer to the door. I steel myself, going over my game plan in my head once again and I can't help but chuckle over my preparations. _No woman has ever turned me down and I'll be damned if I'd let Miss Steele be the first._

When the door is finally opened, my heart stops beating for a second and my breath hitches in my throat. Anastasia has a robe on and her hair is falling in wet curls around her face; she's probably fresh out of the shower and I don't think I've ever seen a sight as delicious as the one before me ever in my life. It's costing me every last shred of self-control not to throw myself at her and take her right here in her hallway. _She looks so incredibly ready to be fucked._

Obviously perplexed by my appearance at her doorstep, Anastasia stands there, blinking rapidly, bewildered. "How did…?"

"Have you signed a contract?" My voice is hoarse and stern as I cut her off and skip right to the chase. _I need to know it's not too late._

If possible, she looks even more confused. "No." She quirks her eyebrows. "But I…"

I don't want to hear the 'but's'. She hasn't signed a contract – that's all I need to know before I move in on her, wrapping one arm around her waist, pulling her body close to mine and the other at the back of her head, pressing her lips against mine. I pour all of the desire and pent-up frustration I have into the kiss in a desperate attempt to get her to reconsider her choice of Dominant. _To make her forget that other fucker even exists._

She gasps in surprise, which effectively allows my tongue access to her mouth. _She tastes even more delicious than I imagined._

Pressing myself against her until she's forced to take a small step backwards, I move the both of us into her apartment and kick the door closed behind me. When I feel her tongue making shy, hesitant movements against mine – so unlike any kiss I've ever shared with any of my more experienced subs – I almost lose it and in one swift movement I press her body hard against the nearest wall, violently attacking her mouth with mine.

I feel her hands trailing softly along my upper arms and when I collect both of her wrists into my one hand and pull them up above her head it's an involuntarily response rather than a conscious action. She shifts her body against the wall and I feel every enticing curve of her body as it moves against mine, but she doesn't seem to want to try and break free of her restraint.

I move on to tasting her neck, trailing kisses and nibbling on her skin as I move along it. _Her skin is so soft and sweet. _A moan escapes her lips and she shifts her position again, seemingly unable to stand still. _I can't wait to be the one to teach her that ability…_

Her robe has slid open and glancing down, I see nothing but naked skin. The groan that leaves my throat sounds more animal than human as I move my lips towards her ear. "Are you naked under this robe, Anastasia?" I growl the words out against her ear before I tug gently with my teeth on her earlobe.

She shakes her head 'no' and I think she whispers the word as well, but it's hard to hear over the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. I feel like a little boy on Christmas morning as I slide the hand that isn't holding her wrists down her waist and tug on the string holding her robe together. "No?" My voice is clouded with want and I move my lips to the corner of her mouth.

With some help from my hand, her robe slides open revealing a pair of white lace panties, the sight of which arouses me more than I think her being naked would have. I take a small step back, still with her wrists in a firm grip above her head. My breath shudders noticeably as I take the sight of her in.

"You're even more beautiful than I imagined." I say the words with a reverence I don't think I've ever heard in my voice before, I pounce on her lips again, unable to stay away from her sweet taste for too long.

Her soft, yet firm, breast fits perfectly in the palm of my hand and I hear myself groan against her lips as I cup it. I'm convinced this girl was made solely for me; a product of my fantasies, my urges, my dreams…

I roll her nipple between my fingers and am rewarded with the sexiest little moan I've ever heard and I'm seriously considering abandoning my game plan as I feel her hips moving against my thighs.

I move my lips slowly away from her mouth and back towards her neck and inhale a deep breath of her delicious scent.

"Please, reconsider signing the contract." I manage to whisper against the soft skin on her neck and with one last pinch of her nipple, inducing yet another amazing sound of arousal from her, I force myself to let her go. If I don't I'll end up fucking her right here and now and I can't do that. I need to leave her longing for more. _Aching_ for more. For _me_ to finish what I just started.

I hear her shallow, rapid breathing behind me as I head towards the door and fight the urge to look back at her. I don't think my self-control could stand the test of seeing her aroused, exposed body begging for my touch.

I take a deep breath as I close the door behind me. I gave it my best effort. Now she knows about the choices she has. All I have to do now is wait for her to make the right one. _I fucking hate waiting._

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 7**

Anastasia

* * *

I feel bereft, confused and more aroused than I've ever felt before in my entire life as I lean heavily against the wall watching the closed door. I don't dare to push myself off the wall, as I'm not sure my legs would hold me without the support of the wall; they feel like they're made out of jell-o.

A thousand thoughts and questions are flittering around in my head and I can't seem to catch a single one. _What the fuck just happened?_ I try to focus on my erratic breathing, trying to calm it down into a normal rhythm.

As the arousal slowly wears off, albeit not completely, I'm suddenly aware of my nakedness and close the robe around my body again, my hands are shaking as I go to fasten the string to keep it in place.

I didn't think the Greek God knew about the contract. If he did, why is Elena the one negotiating it for him? I take a deep, shaky breath. _I have to say though, his attempt at persuasion if far better than anything Elena could have ever done._

The little voice of reason in the back of my mind snorts. _Don't forget about the whips and floggers_, she kindly reminds me and I startle as if said whip or flogger had just landed on my skin when the shrill sound of the phone ringing is heard from the living room.

I hurry towards it and cringe as I see my mother's name on the display. Oddly enough, as much as I don't want to talk to my mother right now, the thought of ignoring her call doesn't even cross my mind.

"Hi mom." I force a smile on my face as I answer. I've read somewhere that smiling while you talk on the phone makes your voice sound happier and nicer, even though you might not feel either happy or nice.

"Hi sweetie." My mother chirps back before she begins her daily questioning. Am I eating right? Do I get enough sleep at night? Are my clothes clean even though I don't have a housekeeper around to do my cleaning for me? Do I keep up with my morning runs? Am I done with this ridiculous attempt of getting by on my own?

All her questions except the last are answered affirmative. She snorts when I tell her I'm still set on getting by on my own, but to my great surprise she doesn't linger on the subject and instead moves on.

"A little bird whispered in my ear that Colin is having second thoughts about the home-wrecker." My mother's voice almost sings the words out in a gleeful tone.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and repress a sigh. _I can't deal with this right now. _I'd rather take the questioning of how on earth I can think I'm able to get by on my own – and in a rat-hole apartment in a bad neighborhood in the big city no less!

"They're still in Aruba." There isn't a smile in the world wide enough to hide my unwillingness to discuss the subject of my former fiancé. "That doesn't sound like second thoughts to me." And to be honest, I really don't care whether he has second thoughts or not. _At least I don't think I do._

"Have faith Anastasia." She tells me. "What do you say I have our driver come pick you up tonight and everything can go back to normal again? Wouldn't you like that?" She sounds like she's talking to a small child; a peace-offering to a toddler that can't quite understand the consequences of the tantrum he just threw.

"I have work tomorrow." I don't know why my voice always seems to be reduced into a whisper whenever I disagree with my mother – it's just the way it's always been. Like a law of nature.

My mother snorts again. "What do you think Colin would say if he heard you've got yourself a _job_?" She utters the last word with disgust and I have to repress a sigh. Somehow my mother and my entire family seems to have forgotten that the world have moved a great deal forward since the middle ages and most women nowadays have not only jobs but careers as well – some of them even prioritize it higher than building a family. _My mother would probably want to burn those women as witches if one of them ever happens to cross her path._

"I don't really care what Colin would say."I tell her honestly and am rewarded with a loud gasp on the other end. "He left _me_, remember?"

"Anastasia Rose Steele…" My mother scolds. "…I know that what Colin did hurt your feelings and your pride, I'm actually very upset with him myself – I did put a lot of time and money into planning that wedding – but he's a man, and sometimes men make mistakes."

I slump down into a chair, listening half-heartedly to my mother making excuses for Colin's behavior based upon the fact that he is a man. Really – that's her argument. I can't believe it took me 21 years and the humiliation of being left practically at the altar for me to realize how wrong her view of the world is.

"So, he had a little fling with that flower-tramp. Who cares? It's out of his system now and I'm sure he will come back to you if you could just be a little patient and lay off this self-sufficient little game you're playing." She sighs audibly. "Really, Anastasia, I think everyone has got the message – you're hurt and angry. You don't need to act it out anymore, so stop acting like a rebellious teenager and come back home."

The thought of going back home to live with my family and act as if my life didn't come crashing down a little more than two weeks ago repulses me. Still, my courage wavers and I try to reason with my mother instead of telling her so. An attempt I should have known beforehand would turn out to be futile. "I just want to learn to get by on my own." I whisper the words, almost wishing she doesn't hear them. Her loud sigh informs me that my wish is just as futile as my vague attempt to reason with her.

"Why on earth would you want that?" She sounds utterly confused and I believe she really doesn't understand. "Didn't you hear me saying Colin has second thoughts? I think he wants you back, Anastasia."

"I heard you." I'm still whispering, although I'm not quite sure why.

"Good." I can practically hear my mother smile on the other end of the line. "Now, I still have your dress here at the house and most of the planning we made can still be used, such as seating-charts and the likes." I know there's no use in trying to stop her at this point, so I just close my eyes and lean my head back as she goes on and on about re-planning the wedding neither me nor Colin has agreed to yet.

"Of course we'll have to hire a new florist." Her voice is dripping with disdain and I suddenly feel very nauseated.

"Mom…"I cut her off just as she's about to go into finding a new destination for our honeymoon. "…I don't feel very well, can we continue this tomorrow?" I have no desire to continue this conversation tomorrow or anytime in the near future, but I don't know how else to get her off my back.

My mother snorts. "It's that _job_ you have, I tell you. It's draining your energy when you should be focusing on other, more important things, like saving your marriage for example."

I don't know if it is actually my job, my mother, Elena or even Christian, but I sure feel completely drained of energy. I can't even muster up the energy to remind my mother that I don't really have a marriage to save, since my husband-to-be decided to run off to Aruba with another girl instead of walking down the aisle with me.

Exhausted after the conversation with my mother, I lay on the couch staring at the black screen of the turned off TV.

How can she expect me to be thrilled and jump right back in to Colin's arms only because he suddenly realized he made a mistake cancelling our wedding? His rumored change of mind doesn't erase the hurt and humiliation he caused when he left.

I'm not so desperate for a man in my life that I can forgive and forget how he treated me and take him back as if though nothing happened. And it hurts me that my mother thinks I would.

I need change. I need to prove to my mother, myself and everyone else that I don't need a man in my life to make my decisions for me. I need to learn how to be in control of my own life. This is the 21st century and most women are in control of their own lives. My mother and her likes are dying breed and I'll be damned if I'm to be one of them.

With a feeling of rage I'm most certainly unfamiliar with boiling inside, I get up and head towards my computer and turn it on. I need to do some research on my own if I'm to head down the dark road towards control that's been pointed out to me.

I slam down a little bit too hard on the keys as I type in my password. _If I want a god damn cup of tea instead of freaking coffee – why don't I just say so?_ He made it sound so simple and I'm guessing to him it is – that's why I know he'll be the perfect guide for me on this journey.

_Are you sure it is his guidance and not his kisses and touches that you want?_ The little voice of reason in the back of my mind has taken on a sarcastic tone and I have to admit that the memory of his lips and hands on my body didn't exactly put me off. If the road towards control looks anything like the session we just had in my hallway, I can't wait to get on it.

I close my eyes as I wait for the computer to start up, Christian's voice resounding in my head as he asked me to please reconsider signing the contract. It's an intoxicating feeling knowing that the Greek God himself wanted this to happen so bad he actually came to my door begging for it.

My cheeks heats up as I think of what happened right before he begged me to reconsider. _No._ I shake the thought away. _I'm on a mission._ I can't allow myself to get distracted by Greek Gods, no matter how tempting it might be.

I straighten my back and focus my eyes on the screen as I type 'BDSM' into the google search field and wait for the results.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 7**

Elena

* * *

It isn't until the sound of the doorbell echoes through the house for the second time that I remember Sandy has the night off and there's no one else around to open the door. I sigh as I get up from my office chair. I have a business to run and a life to manage – I shouldn't have to waste my time running around opening doors.

If Sandy keeps insisting on having nights off like this every now and then I might have to look into finding a replacement for her. The doorbell rings for a third time just as I step into the hallway. _A little impatient, aren't we?_

I reach the door in a few short strides and when I open it I see Anastasia standing on the other side with flushed cheeks and a chased expression in her eyes grasping on to a scrap of paper as if it were a lifeline thrown towards a drowning man.

"Miss Steele." Trying not to show my surprise at her appearance, I gesture for her to step inside. The sound of my voice seems to snap her out of some kind of trance and she hesitates for about a second before she steps inside with a determination I didn't think she could ever muster up displayed on her face.

She takes a deep breath and a quick glance down at the paper in her hand before she looks up to meet my eyes and start talking in a surprisingly steady voice. "I want a clause added to the contract stating that I'm new to all of this and he's to go easy on the punishments, no use of implements to punish for the first seven days and then we'll have another negotiation."

I open my mouth to tell her how insane her demand is and that if she had any clue about how these kind of relationships work she would realize that, but she holds her hand up to cut me off as she continues on with her list of demands. I feel my mouth dropping open and quickly snap it shut. _Who the hell does she think she is?_

"Regarding the clothes and spa-treatments I want it in text en clair that he's to keep the receipts and take the clothes back at the end of our contract and the cost of the treatments is to be taken out of my paycheck with the usual personnel discount of 10 per cent." She makes a short pause and eyes me carefully, to gauge my reaction I'm guessing.

And as taken aback as I am about Anastasia's sudden discover of a back bone and irritated that she had the audacity to cut me off, the realization that she's actually negotiating her terms for signing the contract dawns on me and I simply nod at her latest demand, encouraging her to go on. _I have to tread carefully; one wrong move and she could still back out._

Her eyes flicker back to the scrap of paper in her hand and the shaky breath she draws before speaking is the only thing giving away the nervousness she probably feels behind the stance of determination. "I've done some reading and I assume this contract includes a set of soft and hard limits?"

She waits for my affirmative nod before she continues. "I'm not that experienced and have not been in contact with a majority of the things I've seen on other contracts on the internet, so I want the limits part of the contract to be left open and subject to discussion for the first seven days before we'll have a sit-down to state the limits. During that period of time, he's not to use any implements or initiate any sexual actions that has not previously been subject of discussion and approved by the both of us."

Silence ensues and I can literally see the determination and confidence slipping off her as I don't comment on her ridiculous demands. I _will_ comment, I just love watching her squirm like that when her insecurities get the better of her.

"Is that all, Anastasia?" I ask, keeping my voice as neutral as possible.

"Yes, Ma'am." She answers in a heartbeat, but there's a glint in her eyes and a tone in her voice I don't like when she utters the word 'Ma'am', almost like she's mocking me. _Ah, well…_ I take a deep breath in an attempt to find my calm. _Two more days of playing nice and then she'll be Christian's problem and not mine._

"Very well then." I smile amicably. "Follow me into my office and we'll get the negotiation process started."


	8. Chapter 8

Wow! I'm overwhelmed with the response I got on the last chapter! Thank you all! I'm insanely inspired to write on this story right now (much thanks to your amazing reviews), hence the new chapter already! (I will try to do some writing on my other stories too, I promise).

I know this chapter is very short (apart from the contract in the end), but everything up until now has been…a foreplay if you will…the next chapter is where the story really begins.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 8**

Anastasia

* * *

I shift my position on the couch and stare at the seconds ticking away at the clock on the opposite wall. The last 48 hours have gone by in a haze. This is the first time since I left my apartment, determined and with demands in hand, to go pick up negotiations with Elena that I've had any time to sit down and think.

My time has been occupied by negotiating with Elena and different spa-treatments at Esclava to ensure I'll fit Christian's standards. I must say that, even though I don't think I've experienced anything even remotely as painful as the waxing, I don't think I've ever felt so pampered and cared for as I did during most of the treatments. _I sure wouldn't mind spending a day like that again._

I glance over at the papers on the coffee-table and my eyes are immediately drawn to my signature on the top one. I've just signed away all claims on control and left it in the hands of a man I barely know, but at least spa-treatments are a part of the deal.

I roll my eyes at my own bad attempt at a joke and instead I take a deep breath to calm down my racing heart beats. The changes I demanded were put it in the contract by a strangely compliant Elena and are now highlighted in his copy of the contract to make sure he doesn't miss them.

Another deep breath. _It'll be alright. _Even though Christian himself wasn't here for the negotiations, Elena ensured me that she has done this before; negotiated in his place when he's been too busy to be bothered.

Christian has called a couple of times and stopped by my apartment once since his impromptu visit, but I didn't answer nor open as per Elena's request. She thought it could be fun to wait and tell Christian I agreed to the contract until his birthday and at first I thought it would be a fun gag, but now…I don't know. It feels more weird than fun sitting here waiting for them to arrive. I feel like I should be wearing a bow and be wrapped in a silky paper.

I don't know if it is the nervousness or the idea of myself all wrapped up like a human birthday present, but I start giggling uncontrollably.

It's relieving letting a fit of giggles chase the roaming butterflies in my stomach away and I make no attempt to stop it. It isn't until I hear a car pulling into the driveway that the giggles seem to get struck in my throat, forming into a bile. _Oh, ,God. They're here._

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 8**

Elena

* * *

I glance in the rearview mirror, content to see Christian's car still following behind me.

It's been hard work keeping him away from Ana for the last 48 hours and I'm pretty sure my success at that task has everything to do with the testy and sulky mood he's been in tonight. He seems determined to get her to agree to be his sub. I'm sure he'll be thrilled when seeing his birthday present. _Things couldn't have worked out more perfect._

A smile creeps onto my face as I try to imagine the look on Christian's face when I introduce him to his present. I'm certain he will be pretty much locked up in his playroom for the next couple of days and definitely too busy to be breathing down my neck.

Even negotiations seemed to work themselves into a state of utter perfection. The contract is littered with the words: "A negotiation is to take place within seven days…."

My smile grows into a laugh. I can't help it. I can't believe I didn't see it before.

It dawned on me while I was working myself up to a rage regarding the exhausting and time-consuming task of negotiating with little Miss Obsessed-with-control that the more clauses she added those words to – the more Christian will be the one with his hands full. _And that is something I would really appreciate right now. _And after learning about his little visit to Anastasia the night she signed the contract, I'm positive he will want to negotiate.

I try to contain my laughter as I pull into the driveway. I wouldn't want Christian to suspect I'm doing this for any other reason than out of the kindness in my heart.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 8**

Christian

* * *

I look out the window as Taylor pulls up into Elena's driveway. My cheeks hurt from having forced a smile on my lips all evening. My parents insisted on throwing a birthday party for me at their place and it's not their fault I'm in a bad mood. Not even Mia's enthusiasm and glee could help put my mind at ease tonight.

I haven't heard a word from Anastasia since I showed up at her doorstep. That was on Thursday and today it's Saturday. Two fucking days and not a single word.

She doesn't answer my calls and no one came to open the door when I stopped by yesterday, even though I could clearly hear someone moving around inside the apartment. I'm frustrated and furious and I wonder if the lucky fucker has somehow found out about my pursuit and told her to stay away from me.

The car comes to a stop and I push all thoughts of Anastasia out of my mind. _If only they would obey my wishes and stay there._

When I step out of the car, I see a smiling Elena waiting for me next to her car. She seemed awfully excited about this gift she has purchased and I have to admit I'm kind of curious. It's very unlike Elena to get excited like that over something as trivial as a birthday present.

She told me it was a present not suited to be opened in front of my family, so I'm guessing it has something to do with the darker side of me; the one only she and Flynn really knows about.

Elena's vague description that the birthday present is something I've been wanting but haven't been able to get my hands on yet didn't give me much of a clue as to what it might be. But I'm guessing it is an addition to my already vast collection of toys, or maybe a new flogger or whip… I rack my brain trying to remember if Elena and I have discussed any kind of purchase that fits the description she gave, but I come up blank.

I catch Elena glancing at me sideways with that smile still plastered on her face as we walk towards the front door. I don't know why, but her smile unnerves me. Maybe because it's such a rare feature to see on her face.

Without saying much, Elena lets us both in to her house and ushers me to follow her to the living room where her present is waiting for me.

I'm pondering over her strange choice of words – a present _waiting_ for me? – but my brain comes to a screeching halt as I enter the room and see the last person I expected to see sitting on the couch.

My eyes are locked on Anastasia as she sits with her eyes cast down into her lap. _What the fuck is going on here?_ I clear my throat to make it's steady before I speak. "What's going on here?"

Elena is still smiling as she turns to Anastasia. "Anastasia, why don't you tell Mr. Grey why you are here?"

_Mr. Grey?_ Since when does Elena call me Mr. Grey? My heart skips a beat… No, I can't get my hopes up. The lucky fucker is a friend of Elena's and she might have taken this opportunity to tell me to stay away from her. I rip my eyes away from the beautiful girl on the couch and glance around the room, half expecting the lucky fucker to show up somewhere and demand I keep my hands to myself.

When my eyes return to Anastasia, she looks straight at me for a couple of seconds before diverting her gaze and starting to speak. "I've signed the contract, Sir." She practically whispers.

I'm stunned. For the first time in my life I am lost for words. She's signed the contract? _Which contract?_ She never got back to me after my visit – so it can't be my contract, can it? My pulse is beating so hard I think I can actually feel each beat as they speed up.

"As you can see, a few changes have been made to your contract." I hear Elena talking next to me, but I can't rip my eyes away from the girl on the couch. _My_ contract. That must mean…

Elena shoves some papers into my hands and as I glance down I see my name on the top right before the title The Dominant. The name under it is Anastasia's.

"The changes are highlighted in your version of the contract." I hear Elena's voice but I barely register the words until she lowers her voice into a whisper only for me to hear. "Happy birthday, Christian."

I must look like an idiot. I'm certain my entire being expresses the confusion I'm feeling right now, but I can't seem to wrap my mind around what is happening. _I must be dreaming. This is too fucking unreal. _

This is my birthday present? A sub? Granted I really wanted Anastasia as a sub – but still...as a birthday present? I can't accept this, can I? _God knows, I want to though…_

* * *

**A/N 1:** First, a little note to those of you about to rage because Ana signed the contract: the story doesn't end here, there's still a lot of twists and turns left. If she were to be nothing more than a sub like the others Christian has had, there wouldn't been much point for me to continue this story…But I am – so buckle up for a ride I don't think any of our characters had ever expected!

* * *

**A/N 2: **At first I thought about only presenting the changes to the contract to you as we've all read the contract in the original book already.

But, as I'm sure not everyone of you have memorized it by heart (I actually only skimmed through it until I started writing this story and had to take a closer look) I decided to write it in full.

The changes made after Ana's and Elena's negotiation will be in bold for those of you that only want to read the new parts. I wanted to do to it like this instead of having a character read it and add thoughts and things you might not want to miss, so you can feel free to read carefully, skim through or skip it completely; whichever you like while I get started on the next chapter!

The contract belongs to E.L James and the changes in bold are made by me to fit the plot of my story. A few very minor things have been deleted from the original contract.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 8**

The Contract (changes and additions in bold)

* * *

**CONTRACT**

Made this day_of 2011 ("The Commencement Date")

BETWEEN

MR. CHRISTIAN GREY  
("The Dominant")

MISS ANASTASIA STEELE  
("The Submissive")

**THE PARTIES AGREES AS FOLLOWS:**

**1. **The following are the terms of a binding contract between the Dominant and the Submissive.

**2. **The fundamental purpose of this chapter is to allow the Submissive to explore her sensuality and her limits safely with due respect and regard for her needs, her limits and her wellbeing.

**3. **The Dominant and the Submissive agree and acknowledge that all that occurs under the terms of this contract will be consensual, confidential, and subject to the agreed limits and safety procedures set out in this contract. Additional limits and safety procedures may be agreed in writing.

**4.** The Dominant and the Submissive each warrant that they suffer from no sexual, serious, infectious of life-threatening illnesses including but not limited to HIV, Herpes and Hepatitis. If during the Term (as defined below) or any extended term of this contract either party should be diagnosed with or become aware of any such illness he or she undertakes to inform the other immediately and in any event prior to any form of physical contact between the parties.

**5. **Adherence to the above warranties, agreements and undertakings (and any additional limits and safety procedures agreed under clause 3 above) are fundamental to this contract. Any breach shall render it void with immediate effect and each party agrees to be fully responsible to the other for the consequence of any breach.

**6.** Everything in this contract must be read and interpreted in the light of the fundamental purpose and the fundamental terms set out in clauses 2-5 above.

**7. **The Dominant shall take responsibility for the wellbeing and the proper training, guidance, and discipline of the Submissive. He shall decide the nature of such training, guidance, and discipline and the times of its administration, subject to the agreed terms, limitations and safety procedures set out in this contract or agreed additionally under clause 3 above.

**8. **If at any time the Dominant should fail to keep to the agreed terms, limitations and safety procedures set out in this contract or agreed additionally under clause 3 above the Submissive is entitled to terminate the contract forthwith and to leave the service of the Dominant without notice.

**9.** Subject to that proviso and to clauses 2-5 above the Submissive is to serve and obey the Dominant in all things. Subject to the agreed terms, limitations and safety procedures set out in this contract or agreed additionally under clause 3 above she shall without query or hesitation offer the Dominant such pleasure as he may require and she shall accept without query or hesitation his training, guidance and discipline in whatever form it may take.

COMMENCEMENT AND TERM

**10.** The Dominant and the Submissive enter into this contract on The Commencement Date fully aware of its nature and undertake to abide by its conditions without exception.

**11. **This contract is to be effective for a period of Three Calendar Months from The Commencement Date ("The Term"), **with exception for the clauses stating that a discussion and a negotiation of the terms and limitations stated in it is to be held within seven days from The Commencement Date (Clauses 12, 15.5, and Appendix 3: Soft limits, ).** On expiry of The Term the parties shall discuss whether this contract and the arrangements they have made under this contract are satisfactory and whether the needs of each party have been met. Either party may propose the extension of this contract subject to adjustments to its terms, or to the arrangements they have made under it. In the absence of agreement to such extension this contract shall terminate and both parties shall be free to resume their lives separately.

AVAILABILITY

**12. The Submissive will make herself available to the Dominant for a full seven days starting at The Commencement Date ("The Allotted Time"). The period is to be considered as a training period to accustom the Submissive to the BDSM lifestyle. A negotiation will take place within the seven days to establish how to best proceed from there.**

**13. **The Dominant reserves the right to dismiss the Submissive from his service at any time and for any reason. The Submissive may request her release at any time, such request to be granted at the discretion of the Dominant subject only to the Submissive's right under clauses 2-5 and 8 above.

LOCATION

**14.** The Submissive will make herself available to the Dominant during the Allotted Time. The Dominant will ensure that all travel costs incurred by the Submissive for that purpose are met by the Dominant.

SERVICE PROVISIONS

**15.** The following service provisions have been discussed and agreed and will be adhered to by both parties during the Term. Both parties accept that certain matters may arise which are not covered by the terms of this contract or the service provisions, or that certain matters may be renegotiated. In such circumstance further clauses may be proposed by way of amendment. Any further clauses or amendments must be agreed, documented and signed by both parties and shall be subject to the fundamental terms set out at clauses 2-5 above.

DOMINANT

**15.1** The Dominant shall make the Submissive's health and safety a priority at all times.

**15.2 **The Dominant accepts the Submissive as his, to own, control, dominate and discipline during the Term. The Dominant may use the Submissive's body at any time during the Allotted Time or any agreed additional times in a manner he deems fit, sexually or otherwise.

**15.3 **The Dominant shall provide the Submissive with all necessary training and guidance in how to properly serve the Dominant.

**15.4 **The Dominant shall maintain a stable and safe environment in which the Submissive may perform her duties in the service of the Dominant.

**15.5.** The Dominant may discipline the Submissive as necessary to ensure that the Submissive fully appreciates her role of subservience to the Dominant and to discourage unacceptable conduct. **The Dominant is to recognize that this is the Submissive's first Dominant/Submissive relation. In consideration of that, no implements of any kind are to be used for disciplinary purposes for the first seven days. A negotiation will be held on day eight of the contract to discuss how to best proceed from there.**

**15.6 **In training and in the administration of discipline the Dominant shall ensure that no permanent marks are made upon the Submissive's body nor any injuries incurred that may require medical attention.

**15.7 **In training and in the administration of discipline the Dominant shall ensure that the discipline and the instruments used for the purposes of discipline are safe, shall not be used in such a way as to cause serious harm and shall not in any way exceed the limits defined and detailed in this contract.

**15.8** In case of illness or injury the Dominant shall care for the Submissive, seeing to her health and safety, encouraging and when necessary ordering medical attention when it is judged necessary by the Dominant.

**15.9** The Dominant shall maintain his own good health and seek medical attention when necessary in order to maintain a risk-free environment.

**15.10** The Dominant shall not loan his Submissive to another Dominant.

**15.11** The Dominant may restrain, handcuff, or bind the Submissive at any time during the Allotted Times or any agreed additional time for any reason and for extended periods of time, giving due regard to the health and safety of the Submissive.

**15.12** The Dominant will ensure that all equipment used for the purposes of training and discipline shall be maintained in a clean, hygienic and safe state at all times.

SUBMISSIVE

**15.13** The Submissive accepts the Dominant as her master, with the understanding that she is now the property of the Dominant, to be dealt with as the Dominant pleases during the Term.

**15.14** The Submissive shall obey the rules ("The Rules") set out in appendix 1 to this agreement.

**15.15** The Submissive shall serve the Dominant in any way the Dominant sees fit and shall endeavor to please the Dominant at all times to the best of her ability.

**15.16** The Submissive shall take all measures necessary to maintain her good health and shall request or seek medical attention whenever it is needed, keeping the Dominant informed at all times of any health issues that may arise.

**15.17 **The Submissive will ensure that she procures oral contraception and ensure that she takes it as and when prescribed to prevent any pregnancy.

**15.18** The Submissive shall accept without question any and all disciplinary actions deemed necessary by the Dominant **(with regard to the considerations stated in clause 15.5 above)** and remember her statues and role in regard to the Dominant at all times.

**15.19** The Submissive shall not touch or pleasure herself sexually without permission from the Dominant.

**15.20** The Submissive shall submit to any sexual activity demanded by the Dominant and shall do so without hesitation or argument.

**15.21 The Submissive shall accept spankings as way of discipline should the Dominant decide to administer that **without hesitation, enquiry or complaint.

**15.22** The Submissive shall not look directly in the eyes of the Dominant except when specifically instructed to do so. The Submissive shall keep her eyes cast down and maintain a quiet and respectful bearing in the presence of the Dominant.

**15.23** The Submissive shall always conduct herself in a respectful manner to the Dominant and shall address him only as Sir, Mr. Grey, or such other title as the Dominant may direct.

**15.24** The Submissive will not touch the Dominant without his express permission to do so.

ACTIVITIES

**16.** The Submissive shall not participate in activities or any sexual acts that either party deems to be unsafe or any activities detailed in Appendix 2.

**17.** The Dominant and the Submissive have discussed the activities set out in Appendix 3 and recorded in writing on Appendix 3 their agreement and respect of them.

SAFEWORDS

**18.** The Dominant and the Submissive recognize that the Dominant may make demands of the Submissive that cannot be met without incurring physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or other harm at the time the demands are made to the Submissive. In such circumstances related to this, the Submissive may make use of a safeword ("The Safeword (s)"). Two Safewords will be invoked depending on the severity of the demands.

**19.** The Safeword "Yellow" will be used to bring to the attention of the Dominant that the Submissive is close to her limit of endurance.

**20.** The Safeword "Red" will be used to bring to the attention of the Dominant that Submissive cannot tolerate any further demands. When this words is said the Dominant's action will cease completely with immediate effect.

CONCLUSION

**21.** We the undersigned have read and understood fully the provisions of this contract. We freely accept the terms of this contract and have acknowledged this by our signatures below.

_  
The Dominant: Christian Grey  
Date:

_  
The Submissive: Anastasia Steele  
Date:

* * *

**Appendix 1: Rules**

**RULES**

**Obedience  
**The Submissive will obey any instructions given by the Dominant immediately without hesitation or reservation in an expeditious manner. The Submissive will agree to any sexual activity deemed fit and pleasurable by the Dominant excepting those activities which are outlined in hard limits (Appendix 2). She will do so eagerly and without hesitation.

**Sleep**  
The Submissive will ensure she achieves a minimum of eight hours sleep a night when she is not with the Dominant.

**Food**  
The Submissive will eat regularly to maintain her health and wellbeing. The Submissive will not snack between meals, with the exception of fruit.

**Clothes**  
During the Term the Submissive will wear clothing only approved by the Dominant. **Should the Dominant want to add to his choices by purchasing new items of clothing for the Submissive, that is to be done with the understanding that the clothes are to be loaned by the Submissive and not be considered a gift. **If the Dominant so requires the Submissive shall during the Term wear adornments the Dominant shall require, in the presence of the Dominant and any other time The Dominant deems fit. **Adornments as well as clothing are, as stated above, to be considered a loan which is to be given back at the end of the Term.**

**Exercise  
**The Dominant shall provide the Submissive with a personal trainer four times a week in hour-long sessions at times to be mutually agreed between the personal trainer and the Submissive. The personal trainer will report back to the Dominant with the Submissive's progress.

**Personal Hygiene/Beauty**  
The Submissive will keep herself cleaned and shaved and/or waxed at all times. The Submissive will visit the beauty salon Esclava at times to be decided by the Dominant, and undergo whatever treatments the Dominant sees fit. **All costs will be met by the Submissive as previously agreed between the Submissive and the owner of said beauty salon.**

**Personal Safety**  
The Submissive will not drink to excess, smoke take recreational drugs or put herself in any unnecessary danger.

**Personal Qualities  
**The Submissive will not enter into any sexual relations with anyone other than the Dominant. The Submissive will conduct herself in a respectful and modest manner at all times. She must recognize that her behavior is a direct reflection on the Dominant. She shall be held accountable for any misdeeds, wrongdoings and misbehavior committed when not in the presence of the Dominant.

Failure to comply with any of the above will result in immediate punishment, the nature of which shall be determined by the Dominant.

* * *

**Appendix 2: Hard limits**

**Hard limits**

No acts involving fire play

No acts involving urination or defecation and the products thereof

No acts involving needles, knives, cutting, piercing, or blood

No acts involving gynecological medical instruments

No acts involving children or animals

No acts that will leave permanent marks on the skin

No acts involving breath control

No activity that involves the direct contact of electric current (whether alternating or direct), fire or flames to the body.

* * *

**Appendix 3: Soft limits**

**The following sexual acts are considered acceptable to the Submissive:**

- Masturbation

- Fellatio

- Cunnilingus

- Vaginal intercourse

**The following sexual acts are to be left open for discussion and not to be initiated by either party without the other's outspoken consent and approval. A negotiation will take place within seven days to determine whether either of the following will be acceptable to the Submissive.**

- Vaginal fisting

- Anal intercourse

- Anal fisting

**Swallowing semen will be acceptable to the Submissive.**

**The use of sex toys is to be left open for discussion and no toys are to be included in the sexual act without both parties' outspoken consent and approval. A negotiation will take place within seven days to determine which toys will be considered acceptable to the Submissive.**

**The following bondage situations are considered acceptable to the Submissive.**

- Hands in front

- Hands behind back

- Ankles

- Bondage with leather cuffs

**The following bondage situations are to be left open for discussion and not to be included in the sexual act without both parties' outspoken consent and approval. A negotiation will take place within seven days to determine which of the following bondage situations will be considered acceptable to the Submissive.**

- Knees

- Elbows

- Wrists to ankles

- Spreader bars

- Tied to furniture

- Blindfolding

- Gagging

- Bondage with rope

- Bondage with tape

- Suspension

- Bondage with handcuffs/metal restraints

**An open discussion is to be held continuously regarding the Submissive's general attitude towards pain and the level of pain she wants to receive. **

**The following type of pain/punishment/discipline is acceptable to the Submissive.**

- Spanking

**The following types of pain/punishment/discipline are to be left open for discussion and not be included in sexual acts or acts of discipline and/or punishment without both parties' outspoken consent and approval. A negotiation will take place within seven days to determine which of the following types of pain/punishment/discipline will be considered acceptable to the Submissive.**

- Paddling

- Whipping

- Caning

- Biting

- Nipple clamps

- Genital clamps

- Ice

- Hot wax

- Other types/methods of pain


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and to everyone that favorited or followed my story!

I'll let you know that I've started writing on the next chapter of _For All Eyes to See_. It's not done yet, but an update is in sight!

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 9**

Elena

* * *

"Christian?" I place a hand on his arm to get his attention. He stands staring in front of him, not knowing what to make of the situation I'm sure. He's always had such an exaggerated sense of morals. I'm guessing Grace has taught him that; all I know is that it sure as hell wasn't me.

It takes a couple of seconds before he reacts, snapping his head towards me all while replacing the dumbfounded expression on his face with a stern one. "Elena, can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

I fight the urge to roll my eyes as I turn to Anastasia. "Will you excuse us for a moment, Anastasia?" She nods, looking fairly uneasy as she shifts her legs beneath her again. I sigh as I gesture for Christian to follow me into my office. _Is it too much to ask for a man to be grateful when you go through the trouble of finding him the perfect birthday present?_

We walk in silence and it is not until I've closed the door behind us that he breaks it. "What the hell is going on here Elena?" His voice is clearly upset and angry and I take a deep breath not to let my voice follow in its footsteps. _It isn't his fault he's been cursed with a set of moral standards even I couldn't beat out of him._

"I just wanted to give you a birthday present I knew you would appreciate."

He simply glares at me and if he were a cartoon character, I'm pretty sure smoke would be starting to come out of his ears right about now. "Don't you like it?" I tease. I know there's a battle going on inside of him right now and I can't help but push it to see which side of him will win.

I know he wants the girl, his actions speaks clearly on that matter – not to mention the hunger in his eyes when he looks at her. He can claim to have all the morals he want, but he can't hide that look. I also know that the control freak inside of him is furious that _he_ wasn't the one to close this deal. And of course, that ridiculous moral is there to put a huge damp over it all.

"Like it?" _Ah, there's that glint of hunger again._ Unmistakable. But of course, he has to go hide it behind that wall of moral again, hence the sarcasm in his voice. "You can't give someone a human being as a birthday present." I sigh as he goes on. Ranting. "It's outrageous!"

"Calm down, Christian." He flinches momentarily as I pull out my Dominant voice. I haven't really used it in his presence since he stopped being my sub, but I'm certain he'll recognize the sting in it.

I sooth my voice when I continue, I've already got his attention, there's no need to push my luck. "Anastasia came to me after your little visit and told me you wanted to be her Dominant and that she was considering signing with you instead. We just thought it would be a fun ploy to wait until your birthday to tell you." _That should deal with his moral issues._

His eyes narrow. "Why did she come to you and not to me?"_ Yes, the moral issues got the answer they needed – now it's the control freak's turn._

It's a good thing I foresaw this and have an answer already thought out. "I think she was worried about how the man she was going to sub for before your interruption would react and wanted to hear my thoughts about it."

He still looks utterly suspicious and I sigh audibly for him to hear before I continue. "That's all there is too it. Now come on, how do you think Anastasia feels all alone out there, probably thinking you have changed your mind on her?"

He flinches as if the thought of what she might think about his request for a talk in private hadn't even crossed his mind. But he doesn't seem willing to go back out there just yet. "She read the contract?"

I nod. "Yes. She read it, made a few changes to things she didn't feel comfortable with at the moment and signed."

Christian simply stares at me for the longest time, making me feel very uneasy to say the least, before he speaks again. "What changes?"

"They're highlighted in your copy of the contract. I know you'll probably have a problem with a few of them; but keep in mind that they're all to be re-negotiated in a week once she's gotten a firmer grip on what it means to be a sub." _And truly embraced her true subservient self._

"So she wants this?" He still hasn't taken his eyes off me, but there's a different look in them now; one that reminds me so, so much of the troubled teenager he used to be.

"Yes." I nod again. So far I haven't strayed too far from the truth. Not that I care about that; but it could cause problems if Christian and Anastasia were to start talking. I've assured that Anastasia is in on the whole "the birthday present was just a ploy" thing. I should take this opportunity to assure another of my little manipulations of the truth doesn't see the light anytime soon.

"She wants this, but if I were you, I wouldn't mention the other Dominant in conversation any time soon. He got pretty upset and she feels bad enough as it is about breaking the promise she kind of had already made to him about signing _his_ contract." _That ought to do it._

He nods thoughtfully. "You still won't tell me who he is?"

"Why would you want to know now? You've got the sub."

"I don't know." He shrugs his shoulders. "I stole his sub right from under his nose, I feel like I should reimburse him somehow."

I can't contain my laugh. He literally just said he wants to buy Anastasia off the other guy's hand. Christian is every bit as depraved as me; he just doesn't want to see it. He shies away from it whereas I embrace it.

_But I know better than to point that out to him._ "Reimburse him how?"

"I don't know." He shrugs again. "Help him acquire a new sub or anything to show my good will. I would be furious if anyone pulled this on me and I don't need another enemy."

"Well…" I tap my forefinger against my lips, as if I'm deep in thought. "…now that you mentioned it, there is this convention in Nebraska next weekend. They have a huge display of toys and their collection of floggers is said to be something else. I know he really wanted to go but thought it to be a bit too expensive." _Or rather yet; I've already planned to go, but with a little donation from Christian Grey at hand – I could go on a shopping spree without even looking at the price tags._

"Give me his name and I'll make the arrangements."

"Oh, no." I smile and shake my head. _How stupid does he think I am?_ "I know you, Christian. If I give you his name, you won't stay away. You'll be at his doorstep first thing tomorrow morning." He looks guilty as charged and doesn't try to contradict me, so I continue. "I'll make the arrangements and let you know about the costs. You can write me a check or place the money in my account, whichever is more convenient to you, and I'll make sure he knows this your way of showing repentance."

He doesn't say anything, so I repeat: "I won't give you his name, Christian. If you want to reimburse him – which you really don't have to – this is the way you do it."

_I know he will budge._ Christian Grey doesn't like to be in debt to anyone – whether it's debt of gratitude or other.

"Okay." He finally nods. "Make the arrangements and inform me about the costs."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled." _I wonder how much I can milk from this without raising any suspicions?_ Christian is a generous man, I'm sure he will want the reimbursement to be over the top, right? It's a hard work to keep a serious face on right now, but I'm nothing if not a master of keeping my emotions and inner thoughts under control.

"Let's go back out to Anastasia, shall we?" I point towards the door and with a short nod, he opens it and we both step out of my office.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 9**

Christian

* * *

I feel Anastasia's eyes on me as I sit in the back of the car, reading through the contract paying special attention to the highlighted changes. _Her soft limits are joke._ It practically states we can practice a spiced version of vanilla. _No toys, no whips, no floggers, hardly any bondage._ What was Elena thinking during negotiations? Doesn't she know me at all?

I sink the contract onto my lap and search eye-contact with Anastasia. The changes do speak of her involvement and understanding of the contract, but I have to make sure. Elena's sense of right and wrong sometimes ends up on the wrong end of the scale and I can't take only her word on it that Anastasia has read the contract.

When my eyes latch on to hers, I feel that strange pull I felt the first time I saw her. Like it's impossible to look away. To stay away. I try to ignore the feeling and clear my throat before I speak to make sure it doesn't show I'm affected by her presence or her innocent, blue eyes looking into mine.

Maybe that's what it all comes down to: the innocence. I'm certainly not used to innocent girls and the thought of being the one getting to sully that innocence is intoxicating. _Yes, that all there is. _She may think she wants vanilla, but in a week's time – I'll have this innocent little girl forgotten what vanilla even tastes like.

My cock hardens at the thought of letting this innocent little girl feel the bite of my whip. If it's the last thing I'll do – I **will** get her to put at least a whip and a flogger onto the acceptable forms of punishment in the soft limits during negotiations. The challenge that lies in getting her to agree to that doesn't exactly help to calm my hardening cock down.

I take a deep breath. Having lost my thread, I push my thoughts aside and give Anastasia my full attention. "I know you've signed the contract, but as I was not present during negotiations I must ask whether you've read the contract in full and are familiar with its contents?"

"Yes." There's a short pause, before her eyes widen and she hurriedly adds: "I mean, yes, Sir. Mr. Grey." She blushes and the look on her face is so worried, I feel an urgent need to put her mind at ease.

"I haven't signed the contract yet Anastasia; you needn't worry about the slip." Since when am I in the habit of letting slips past or placing anyone's mind at ease in my presence? Contract signed or not. "This time." There's no mistaking the threat that lies beneath my words as I try to smooth over my impulsive act of kindness. I wouldn't want her thinking slips like that is something that will be okay in the future.

She nods seriously. "You can call me Ana, if you want, Mr. Grey."

"Ana."I try the name on my lips. I like the way her full name rolls over my tongue; but I also like having choices – something I'll make sure to let her know once the contract is up for re-negotiation.

Judging by her changes to the contract I would say she has a problem not being able to control what will happen. Not knowing. Hence her need to minimize my choices regarding almost anything in the contract. I can't fully repress the smirk. _You just wait Miss Steele…I still have a lot of tricks up my sleeve and I can't wait to show them to you._

Once again, I have to stop my thoughts from wandering onto all the things I want to do to her and focus on the very important think I'm trying to discuss here. It's vital to get these things cleared up before we can move on. _And I really want to move on, preferably into my playroom._

But, I know Elena too well and am well aware that her methods for acquiring new subs might be a bit…unconventional at times. Hence, my next question is of great importance.

"Did you sign this contract out of your own free will?" Anastasia flinches and stares at me for a long time before she answers and a thousand thoughts rushes through my mind. _Elena is blackmailing her into this._ I wouldn't put it beneath her.

"How do you mean?" Due to the paleness on her face and the fact that she looks like she's going to be sick, I decide not to comment on her slip. Besides, didn't I just say she didn't need to be formal until I signed?

"Does Elena have a hold on you or did you sign the contract because this is something you want?" Her eyes widen and I add: "You won't get in trouble as long as you tell the truth."

"This is something I want and I signed of my own free will." Her voice is steady as she speaks, but I can't quite let it go. Her uneasiness when the question was posed was too obvious to be ignored.

"Are you sure?"

She nods. "Yes."

A part of me wants to let it go at that, if I push further and some sort of foul play on Elena's side were to be revealed, I would lose her. But still, with the plans I have for her future as my sub – I have to make sure she really wants this.

"So what's with the reaction to my question?" I make an effort to make my voice sound soft; non-threatening.

"What reaction, Sir?" She sounds considerably calmer, but she's still as pale as a ghost.

I smile. I don't know why I feel this constant need to make her feel comfortable and at ease in my company, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the unusual way she came to be my sub.

"You looked like you were about to faint." I point out and there's a small spark of something warm and light in my chest when she returns my smile. _What the fuck is that?_

"Oh." She lets out a small laugh and the spark flickers into flame for a short second. "I just…" She shakes her head, still smiling. "I just couldn't believe you would think that about Elena."

This time it's my turn to let out a laugh. "You obviously don't know her the way I do."

We don't talk much for the rest of the ride and the sexual tension between us is palpable. _Or is it just me?_ But still it doesn't feel the least bit uncomfortable sitting in silence together as Taylor guides us through the traffic towards my penthouse at Escala.

I know I have to get her into my playroom sooner rather than later and I've already thought out the perfect scene for tonight's session when the car finally stops inside Escala's garage.

Along with a few instructions on keeping a low profile tonight, Taylor grabs Anastasia's bags and head for the service elevator while I lead Ana towards the regular don't have to wait long before the doors open and we're able to step inside. I press the code and the elevator starts moving.

We both stand in silence watching as the floors tick by on the panel next to the door. The silence isn't the same as the comfortable one in the car, but I don't know how to break it. I'm afraid that if I open my mouth I will speak of all the things I want to do to her – all of the things she's listed as not-acceptable-yet in her soft limits and I'm sure that would scare her away. Not to mention it would be a breach of the contract as I'm also sure the beast inside me wouldn't be satisfied by words alone.

It feels like the air around us is loaded with electricity and if we were to touch, sparks would fly. I inhale a deep breath, I desperately need to focus on anything other than the pressing want to throw myself at Miss Steele and take her against the wall of the elevator. _I want to take my time with this one._

It feels like an eternity before we reach the penthouse and I'm able to rush the both of us out of the elevator. I don't know what it is about confined spaces like that, but I've never experienced such a strong tension building that quickly.

"Let's have a talk in my office." My voice sounds like it's not used to speaking as I growl out the words, already leading us in the direction of my office.

_Talk, talk, talk…_The beast inside me rattles the bars of his cage, impatient to be over with all the talking and be let out. _Soon_, I promise him.

I walk up to my desk, place the contract on it and grab a pen. Ana is waiting a few steps behind me and I see her in the corner of my eye. The little black dress she's wearing leaves enough to the imagination to have it run wild, but at the same time shows enough skin to leave a few hints for which direction it should run in. _And the way she bites down on that lip!_

I put my pen down hard enough to make a noise. "I'm warning you Miss Steele." I'm still growling, but right now I couldn't care less. Slowly, I move closer to her as I continue speaking. "In a few seconds that contract will be signed, and you'll be mine do with as I please." I take a moment to let the words sink in.

I stop mere inches away from her and without touching any part of her body, I lean closer and whisper in my most threatening voice. "I think it's only fair to let you know beforehand how that lip-biting affects me." With the use of my thumb, I free her lip from her teeth and watch in amusement – and, I have to confess: a throbbing cock – as her eyes widen. "It makes me want to sink _my_ teeth into that lip…and other parts of your body." As to mark my words, I let my fingers slide down slowly along her neck before I take a step back and return to my desk.

I reach for the pen again and without further ado, I sign the contract and place the pen back in the holder. "Now…" I turn to face her again. "…I think a tour of the apartment should be in order, but to be honest I can't wait to get you into my playroom, so I think the tour will have to wait."

She stiffens at the mention of my playroom and that strange need to put her at ease overcomes me yet again. "Don't worry, I have your changes and additions clear in mind, Miss Steele." I tell her as I head for the door and gesture for her to follow behind me.

* * *

Having left Miss Steele in the playroom with the instruction to wait for me kneeling by the door in only her panties, I hurry along to my bedroom to go get changed.

She did seem kind of uneasy as we walked into the playroom. I don't know how much the other guy she was about to sign with told her about BDSM, but it was pretty obvious she'd never seen a playroom before. Of course, not all Dominants have playrooms, but someone so into it he goes conventions ought to have one, right?

I didn't offer her much of an introduction to the room though; other than a quick look followed by a promise that she would be well acquainted with the room in no time. I couldn't stand there and watch her uneasiness and risk that need to make her feel comfortable to take over again. Next thing I know, I'll probably hear myself offering her a vanilla fuck in my bed to ease her state of mind. _And there's no way I'll ever let that happen!_

Once in my bedroom, I quickly slip out of my dress pants and shirt and grab my playroom jeans from the top drawer.

I certainly don't like some of the changes and additions she's made to the contract…_no implements of any kind are to be used for disciplinary purposes for the first seven days._ I pull my jeans on, leaving the top button loose as always. _We'll see about that_. There's plenty you can still do without using implements and by day eight I'll have her begging for a whip.

I don't know if it's the face of a challenge or if it's simply the knowledge of Anastasia waiting for me in my playroom, but I feel more alive and excited than I've done in a long, long time.

* * *

**The perfect birthday present – Chapter 9**

Anastasia

* * *

I keep my eyes focused on the floor as I slide my dress down to the floor. If I were to look up, I'm pretty sure that little voice of reason urging me to run would get the better of me. _I can't let that happen._ I can't go back to who I used to be. I need to do this. I need to find my inner strength so I can finally learn how to be in control over my life.

My hands are shaking as I take my clothes off piece by piece and fold them into a little pile next to the door. I try to focus on the task of folding instead of the reason as to why I'm taking my clothes off and folding them into a neat pile in a strange man's medieval torture chamber. _It's the means to an end._ I repeat the words as a mantra.

I've added a clause to protect me from the worst, most painful, forms of punishment and even if I hadn't – I haven't given him any reason to punish me yet. We've hardly spoken since he signed the contract.

My mind drifts back to the conversation in the car. It didn't seem like Christian trusts Elena's intentions; asking whether I signed out of my own free will. I wonder what she told him in their private conversation back at her house. Did she tell him why I'm doing this?

Probably not judging by his interrogation in the car and maybe it's better he doesn't know why I'm doing this. If I tell him I do this because I eventually want to be in control myself, he might not want me as a submissive. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that would gladly share control over anything.

I place my bra on top of the pile of clothes and kick of my shoes. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves before I sink to my knees and bow my head towards the floor to wait for him like he instructed me to.

It doesn't take long before the door is opened and I'm glad I have the presence of mind not to act on the reflex to turn my head and look at him as he enters. If I do this right and listen carefully to his instructions maybe he won't find a reason to punish me at all during our time together.

"Spread your legs Anastasia." He suddenly orders and I obey in an instant, keeping the contractual formulation "_without hesitation or query"_ close in mind. _I've always been a good student and I'm pretty confident I can get through tonight without earning myself any kind of punishment._ The thought puts my mind at least a little bit at ease.

Have you forgotten the contractual formulation "_for his own personal enjoyment"_? The little voice of reason snorts at me.

I don't have time to linger on that little reminder though, as Christian's voice echoes through the room delivering another order. "Wider."

I widen my legs as far as it's possible in the position I'm in. _He can't possibly punish me for not being a gymnast in possession of the ability to bend my legs behind my head._

He seems content with the wideness though, as his next order is a new one. "Now, put your hands on your thighs. Palms up."

I quickly do as I'm told and await his verdict with a pounding heart.

"This is the sub-position I prefer." _Okay, sounds like I did it right._ I let out the breath I'd been holding and as at least a little bit of the nervousness leaves me, I find that I'm strangely enough aroused by his demanding voice delivering orders. "I want you to remember it. Whenever I ask you to go wait for me in my playroom – this is the position I want to find you in. Do you understand?"

It takes a couple of seconds before I realize he's asked me a question which I'm supposed to answer. "Yes, Mr. Grey." I manage to squeak out.

"Good. You may stand up."

I do so on wobbly legs and my heart starts beating faster as I hear Christian moving closer to me._ Keep your eyes on the floor, Ana._ I tell myself over and over again to resist looking at him. _Eyes on the floor._

He stops at what I'm guessing is a few feet away and it feels like forever before he speaks another order again. "Look at me, Anastasia."

I obey and when I turn my head up to look at him, I must gasp for air. I did a lot of googling on BDSM before I went to Elena's for negotiations and was half expecting to see Christian wearing some kind of scary leather garment with straps and chains running across it. I had steeled myself for the sight.

I had, however, not steeled myself for the sight in front of me and I hope the fact that my mouth has dropped open in amazement and I seem to have forgotten how to close it won't earn me a punishment. _I don't think there was anything in the contract about not being allowed to stare shamelessly at your Dominant's perfectly chiseled chest and abs._

Far from the leather garments I had imagined, Christian looks absolutely delicious wearing nothing but a pair of worn jeans with the top button left loose, revealing just enough to make you want to see more. My pulse quickens considerably. Is it even allowed for a man to look this perfect?

"I've been waiting for this moment ever since I first laid eyes on you." Christian's soft voice forces me to rip my eyes away from his body and look into his eyes. They're certainly not as soft as his voice and I gulp.

He starts circling around me, like an animal stalking down his prey and I feel shivers running through me. I don't know whether I'm more scared or aroused and I flinch as he moves up closer behind me. He doesn't touch me, but I feel some sort of energy radiating between our bodies.

When he finally reaches out to touch me I let out a breath I wasn't aware I'd been holding. I don't know what I had expected for him to do first; slap me for having forgotten to obey a rule of any kind or simply _for his own personal enjoyment_ or maybe let his firm, strong hands run over my body. I had certainly not expected his first touch would be soft, tender fingers combing through my hair.

He barely touches my skin as he lets his fingers run through my hair and I'm surprised at how erotic it feels. My entire body is screaming for his touch; longing for it – I just want to know how those strong hands would feel on my skin. He hasn't even touched me yet, and still I'm more aroused than I've ever been in my entire life.

The few short encounters I've had with Colin don't even begin to compare to this. This man's fingers combing through my hair apparently…braiding it?...somehow feels more erotic and arousing than Colin's sweaty body on top of mine ever did. _I'm guessing the expectations and the not knowing what will happen plays a big deal in keeping my senses on high alert like this._

Once he closes the braid, he slowly twists it around his wrist and even I can hear my breathing shudder in anticipation. Still, I'm not in the least prepared for the yank forcing my head back and I stumble, crashing against his hard body behind me.

"So, Miss Steele." He whispers so close to my ear I can feel his lips moving against the sensitive skin beneath it. "It wasn't very nice of you letting me wait like that, was it?"

_Oh, God. _Does he want me to answer that or was the question rhetorical? He pulls down a little harder on my braid and repeats: "Was it, Anastasia?" _Okay, apparently it wasn't rhetorical._

"N-no, Sir." I stutter.

Still holding onto my hair, he wraps one arm around my waist, letting his fingers trace across the skin of my stomach with feather-like touches. I shudder.

"Not answering my calls." His fingers slowly move up, now tracing the soft skin between my breasts. "Not opening your door for me." His fingers make a circling movement around one of my breasts before they start moving down again along my side.

I know I'm probably supposed to stand still, but I can't help but squirm against him. I want him to touch me so badly. My breasts are actually starting to ache from being ignored by his avoiding maneuver.

When his fingers reach my hips, he clasps his arm around me and pulls me hard against him with a firm grip around my hips. "I'm a very impatient man, Anastasia." His voice has changed from soft to threatening, but I find it hard to focus on it when I feel a very hard, and may I say very huge, part of his body pressing against the small of my back.

"I don't like to be kept on hold." His lips are tracing my neck as he speaks and I'm turning to mold in his hands. "I think that by misleading me and letting me wait – you've just earned yourself your first punishment, Miss Steele."

_Wait? What?_ I feel like someone just poured a bucket of ice-cold water over me. _No._


End file.
